Reflection
by derangedperson
Summary: Kogoro gets caught in the middle of a couple's bitter custody battle and is forced to confront his demons. Rated M for violence, language and subject matter.
1. The Morning After

SUNDAY

Kogoro Mouri rose to greet the day the same way he always did: through a haze of drunkenness and blurred vision. A fire alarm rang in his head as he staggered to the bathroom, knocking over furniture along the way. Once he got to the bathroom proper, he grabbed hold of the towel rack to steady himself. As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he got a good look at his reflection in the mirror, and what he saw didn't surprise him: unkempt hair, shadow that was way past five o'clock, bloodshot and bleary eyes, and a small, dried-up trail of drool leading from the corner of his lips. Kogoro grunted and activated the sink, splashing water on his face in an attempt to improve his appearance and ease the pain. Neither worked very well, however, as he toweled off his face and activated the drain plug, filling the sink with hot water. One shave later, he looked more like the great detective he was than the drunken wreck he'd seen earlier. He wore a satisfied grin as he made his way to the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee and taking two extra-strength Tylenol to take care of his headache.

Once the coffee was brewed, Kogoro poured some into a cup that bore the caption YOKO OKINO IS MY SECOND WIFE and glanced at his phone. According to the calendar, it was a Sunday, and there were no cases on the docket as far as he could see. _Good,_ he thought to himself. _Sometimes, even the best detectives need a break._ He turned the television on and retreated to his bedroom, changing into his everyday clothes as the day's news was reported. Kogoro finished adjusting his tie as he opened the door to his office and was greeted by the scowling faces of his daughter Ran and her six year-old charge, Conan. All he could do was arch an eyebrow in curiosity and ask, "Why the long faces, you two?"

"So you're saying you forgot?" Ran asked accusingly.

"I can't forget anything I don't remember, Ran. Care to fill me in?"

"You're the best detective in Tokyo, Mouri-san," Conan cracked. "You figure it out."

"Shut up, brat," Kogoro grumbled as he cracked open a can of Union. "Like I said, there's nothing for me to forget, so-"

"Oh, REALLY?!" Ran's angry declaration cut him off as a small leaflet was thrust in his face. Kogoro blinked twice to regain his bearings, then took the paper from her and began to read its contents. _Karate tournament...5 p.m. start time...Budokan Hall..._

_Oh shit._

Kogoro's eyes widened and the blood drained from his face as he realized the magnitude of his mistake. "Ran, I know this looks bad, but let me explain!"

"I thought you said there was nothing _to_ explain," Conan said. Kogoro narrowed his eyes at the boy and shot back, "The leaflet jogged my memory, smartass! I remember waiting for your program up in the stands, and when the intermission happened, I went down to the bar. I couldn't have been gone _that_ long!"

"Well, you were," Ran sighed. "After the tournament was over, Conan and I looked all over the building for you, but you were nowhere to be found. We go outside and pass the entrance to the bar, and what do we find? _You._ Passed out drunk with your tie around your head and one of your shoes missing."

"Huh?" Kogoro glanced at his shoes and was embarrassed to see that there was indeed only one at the ready. "How did we get home, then?"

"Ran-neechan and I had no choice but to carry you," Conan answered. "We're lucky there was a train station nearby, otherwise we would've either had to walk or take a taxi." Not knowing what else to do, Kogoro rubbed the back of his neck and gave a sheepish, "Well, at least we got home safely, right? I mean, with Ran's strength and your support, I couldn't have been _that_ hard to carry!"

"Don't you get it?!" Ran exclaimed as she slammed her fist into the desk. "You didn't even see my program! I took first place out of my group, and you were more concerned about getting drunk than you were about me!"

"Come on, Ran! That's not fair! I never intended to have more than one drink! You have to believe me!" _Yeah, if by "one drink" you mean an entire keg,_ Shinichi thought.

"I wish I could believe you, dad. I really do." With sadness in her eyes, Ran grabbed her jacket and opened the door as Kogoro asked, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I just need to get out of the house before I do something I regret. If you need me, I'll be at mom's. Come on, Conan-kun."

_Eri,_ Kogoro thought as he let out a defeated sigh._ Great. As if this day couldn't get any worse._

Conan did as he was told, stepping outside just before Ran closed the door. She had one foot in the office and one foot outside when she sighed and turned back around to face her father. "I love you, dad. But you can't keep doing this." Ran shut the door and walked towards the train station with Conan alongside her; Kogoro could do nothing but watch through the windows as his daughter and Conan passed under the awning and into the distance. When their figures were too small to identify, he turned back around to face the now-empty detective agency. All he could do was shake his head and collapse into his chair, polishing off the can of Union in two gulps before reaching into the small refrigerator under his desk to grab another. He polished that one off in less than thirty seconds and repeated the same process, only to find that his mini fridge was now empty.

"Damn," he said to himself. "Maybe there's some more in the kitchen." Kogoro went upstairs and grinned in anticipation as he opened the refrigerator door, and when he did, he was disappointed to discover that that fridge, while fully stocked with food and water, was devoid of alcohol. "Son of a...ah, screw it! The liquor store's just down the street," Kogoro said to nobody in particular. "I can get some more booze, no problem!" He went to put his shoes on, but once again realized that he only had one remaining as a result of his drunken escapade the night before.

"Dammit...I'm gonna need new shoes. _Then_ I can get some more beer." Having no other choice, the house slipper on his right foot stayed on while he placed his one remaining shoe on his left, and when he was ready, he left the office and headed towards the nearest shoe store, mumbling a mantra to keep him focused.

"Shoes, then booze. Shoes, then booze. Shoes, then booze."


	2. Meeting The Maedas

A brief, high pitched ding announced Kogoro's arrival as he walked into the shoe store. As soon as the doors shut, a salesperson approached him and said, "Hello, sir! Can I help you find any-" Once the teen got a good look at his face, however, he was instantly starstruck and his work spiel gave way to excited fanboyism. "Holy cow! You're Kogoro Mouri...the famous detective!"

"That's right," Kogoro answered as he puffed out his chest. "And this famous detective needs a decent pair of shoes."

"I noticed," the teen said as he pointed to Kogoro's slipper-clad foot. "How'd you wind up with only one?" Kogoro knew he couldn't tell the embarrassing truth, so instead, he embellished. "I lost it fighting a criminal a few days ago. Caught the bastard right in the act, too-he was just about to stab someone, and I knocked the knife out of his hands with a well-timed kick!"

"Wow," the teen exclaimed in starstruck awe. "Did the knife cut your shoe or something?"

"I wish those were the circumstances, but no. Unfortunately, the force of my kick launched my shoe clean off and it landed on a fire escape. After the suspect was apprehended, I tried my hardest to knock it down, but it just wouldn't budge. I spent about an hour trying to retrieve it before I gave up and went home."

"Aw man, that's too bad. No worries, though-we've got plenty of selection on hand, so let's go find you something nice."

"Sounds like a plan." They headed for the men's section as a muzak version of "Somebody To Love" played overhead, with Kogoro humming the words as he was led to an aisle of dress shoes. "All right, Mouri-san. If you need any help, just let me know."

"Sure thing." The teen left to tend to other guests as Kogoro pulled out his cell phone and checked his bank balance. A quick scan of his finances revealed he had just over 10,000 yen on hand, which brought a smile to his face. "Looks like today's getting better already," he said to himself as he rummaged through the racks, grabbing two pairs of shoes before sitting down to try them on. Kogoro had just removed his slipper when he felt something hit his foot, and when he looked down, it revealed the culprit was a small toy car. He shrugged and placed the car on top of a nearby shelf as he tried the shoe on and found it was a perfect fit. Satisfied, he put the shoe back in the box and was on his way to the checkout counter when he noticed a little girl looking through the shelves in front of him. She couldn't have been more than six, at his estimation, and he did a double take as he glanced at her. Long brown hair, slender build, light blue eyes...

_She looks exactly like Ran at that age._

He pulled out his cell phone and took a quick picture of her, still not believing his eyes. Kogoro stood dumbfounded as the girl looked up and down, underneath shoe boxes and benches, and briefly glanced in a small trashcan. It didn't take long before her search was interrupted as she bumped into Kogoro's legs and fell down, landing on her butt and letting out a small groan of pain. The noise caused Mouri's fatherly instincts to kick in, and he quickly grabbed the little girl on both sides and stood her up, smoothing out her clothes as he did so. "There you go, kid," Kogoro said. "Good as new."

The little girl sniffled and asked, "Mister, have you seen my little red car? I remember pushing it down this way, and now I can't find it."

"Actually..." Kogoro reached over and grabbed the toy from the shelf he'd placed it on, crouched down to her level and held it in his hand. "I think I have." Her face lit up with joy as she took it from Kogoro's palm and happily danced around, exclaiming, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The noise caught the attention of a man shopping nearby, and he approached the duo with a concerned look on his face. He placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and scolded her with a gentle, but firm, "Rui, honey, what are you doing? You know what I've told you about talking to strangers!"

"I'm sorry, daddy. I lost my little red car and this nice man found it for me!" Her father looked at Kogoro and asked, "Is that so?"

"It was nothing, really," Mouri said as he let out a small chuckle. "It hit the side of my foot, and I just held onto it for safekeeping. Figured it had to belong to somebody."

"Well, thanks for doing that." The man extended his hand and introduced himself. "Hiro Maeda. This is my daughter, Rui, but I can see you've already met."

"We have," Kogoro said. "Heh...I guess that means we aren't strangers anymore! Isn't that right, Ran?"

"Ran?" Hiro blinked in confusion as he asked, "Who's Ran?" Kogoro gasped and paled in fright as he backpedaled with a frantic, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just...your daughter looks almost exactly like my daughter did when she was that age. Here, let me show you." Mouri pulled out his phone and found a photo of Ran at six years old, selecting it and showing it to Maeda. Hiro glanced at the photo and replied, "Wow. That's almost scary. I'm guessing Ran is her name?"

"That's right," Kogoro said with a sheepish shrug. "Sorry about that."

"No harm done." Hiro felt a tug on his jacket and turned his attention to Rui, who asked, "Can we get my new shoes now, daddy?"

"Sure thing, honey. Let's get you the biggest, brightest pair of shoes we can find!" Hiro took her by the hand and led her to the kids' shoes, with Kogoro smiling to himself as he once again approached the cash register. He paid for his shoes, stuffed the receipt in his pants pocket and put on the new pair, tucking the house slipper in his belt and throwing away the old shoe. As he started to leave the store, he noticed another individual lurking a few aisles down from father and daughter, and they seemed to be keeping a close eye on them. _Too_ close, by Kogoro's watch. He made sure to keep his distance and stay low as he observed the culprit, who was wearing a facemask and sunglasses to obscure their identity, creep closer to where the Maedas were sitting. Hiro had his back to the culprit as he helped Rui put her shoes back on, and even though she was still in a good mood, her curiosity got the best of her. "Daddy, these new shoes cost a lot of money. Didn't mommy tell you-"

"It'll be our little secret, sweetheart," Hiro said with a grin. "What mommy doesn't know can't hurt her. Now, come on-let's go get these rung up." Maeda held the shoebox under his right arm and Rui's hand in his left as father and daughter headed towards the checkout counter...

And that was when the culprit made their move.

In the blink of an eye, they charged at the pair and drove their elbow into Hiro's gut, causing him to double over in pain. The culprit used this opening to grab Rui and make a beeline for the exit, but they were stopped by two employees and Kogoro blocking their path. Rui was wailing in fear as Mouri demanded, "You're not going anywhere, pal! Put the girl down!" Maeda had regained his bearings and brought up the rear, exclaiming, "Give me my daughter, asshole! You've got nowhere to run!" The culprit took stock of the situation before them: _three in the front, one at my rear. Obvious choice._ Instead of charging through the blockade, they turned around and ran down the middle aisle of the store, with Kogoro and Hiro in hot pursuit.

The rear entrance door flew open as the culprit ran into the alleyway and headed for the street, hoping to lose the duo that was chasing them. Bystanders scattered as the culprit wove through the throngs on the sidewalk, followed closely by Kogoro and Hiro. At one point, Kogoro got close enough to the culprit to get a good look at Rui's face, and what he saw confused him. _She was screaming in fear when this guy grabbed her, but now...now she looks like she's at peace. Like she's being protected. What in the hell...?_ Kogoro's train of thought crashed to a halt, however, when the culprit suddenly swerved to the left and cut into another alleyway. Hiro screamed "GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!" as they followed them, and the culprit responded to their continued presence by throwing garbage cans down to hinder their progress. Kogoro and Hiro merely jumped over them or tossed them aside as they continued their pursuit, and the culprit's path led them around the corner into a branch of the alleyway, with the duo taking off in hot pursuit. Unbeknownst to them, the culprit had ducked inside a small alcove to avoid detection, and once they were far enough away, the culprit took off in the opposite direction. However, they failed to notice a metal pipe laying in the middle of the alley, and they tripped over it and crashed into a pile of garbage.

The noise alerted Kogoro and Hiro, who turned around and ran towards the source of the noise. When they got there, they found Rui safe and sound, but the culprit was nowhere to be found. Hiro knelt down to check on his daughter as Kogoro ran ahead to see if the culprit was anywhere nearby, but he had no luck. He cursed under his breath and returned to Hiro's side, and was shocked to find that Maeda's jovial personality had performed a complete 180. The man was fuming and clenching his fists in rage as Kogoro said, "I can call the police if you want-"

"Don't bother," Hiro spat. "Rui, cover your ears." The girl did as she was told as her father stood up and exclaimed, "That fucking bitch! THAT FUCKING BITCH!"

"Whoa, whoa, pal! Who're you talking about like that?"

"My fucking wife! I've been in a custody battle with that woman for the last six weeks! She's been trying everything she can to make me look like an unfit parent, but I never thought she'd resort to this!"

"Do you have any concrete evidence that she did this?"

"My suspicion is proof enough!" Maeda glanced at his watch and said, "It's 10:40. Odds are that bitch is at her lawyer's office as we speak! And she didn't just hire _any_ lawyer, oh no. She had to go and hire Eri fucking Kisaki! The goddamn Queen of Lawyers!"

Kogoro paled at the revelation as Maeda declared, "Well, if they think they can get the best of me, they're dead wrong! I think it's time I paid Kaori a little visit!" Having gained a second wind, Maeda stormed off in the general direction of Eri's office, leaving Mouri and Rui in the lurch. "Hey!" Kogoro called. "What about your kid?!" Maeda said nothing and kept moving, leaving Kogoro to sit and catch his breath alongside the little girl. After a few minutes, Rui lowered her hands and turned to face Kogoro, saying, "I hate having to cover my ears, mister."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Because that means my mommy and daddy are gonna start fighting. They say bad words and try to hurt each other."

"They don't hurt _you,_ do they?"

"No. Sometimes my grandma and grandpa take care of me when mommy and daddy are fighting too much."

"Where do they live?"

"Komae. Their phone number is 003-826-1002. I memorized it all by myself!"

"Impressive," Kogoro said with a smile. "Sit tight-I'll give them a call."

* * *

Eri had been dreading the arrival of Kaori Maeda ever since she made her appointment a week ago. She steeped her tea in the cup of hot water she had poured and glanced over the Maeda's case file, which contained reams of paperwork, offers, counter-offers, rejections and assorted police reports from both husband and wife. All she could do was sigh and shake her head as she reviewed the documents, knowing that she would be in for a long day. She was about to take a sip of her tea when her phone rang. "Kisaki-sama?"

Her secretary. Thank God. "Yes, Kumi?"

"Your daughter and her little friend are here. Do you want me to send them in?"

"Of course. When Maeda-san arrives, make sure you let me know."

"Yes, ma'am." Eri retrieved two sets of cups and saucers from the cabinet next to her desk and set them out in front of her as Ran and Conan walked into her office. "Hi, mom," Ran said. "I'm sorry to show up when you're working, but things got a little dicey at home."

"Let me guess," Eri said as she grabbed a pitcher of water from the fridge. "Your father?" All Ran could do was nod in frustration as Eri filled the pair of cups at the front of her desk. "What did he do this time?"

"The Budokan karate tournament was yesterday," Ran said. "Dad and Conan-kun were in the audience, and my program was scheduled to start at 7:15; it was first after the intermission." Eri listened attentively as Ran continued with, "When I stepped out on the mat, I looked in the audience and Conan-kun was there, but dad was nowhere to be found. I fought and did my best, and when it was over, the two of us went to look for him."

"It didn't take us long," Conan said with a roll of his eyes. "All we had to do was go downstairs to the bar, and there he was, passed out on the floor. We had to carry him all the way back home; thankfully, none of the other competitors saw us."

"Unbelievable," Eri sighed in frustration as she shook her head. "Just when I think he's about to change, he does something like this and he's right back to square one! I can't believe him..."

"If it's any consolation, mom, I placed first in my group," Ran said as she showed her a photo of herself holding a large trophy. A confident grin was on Eri's face as she said, "That's my girl. Maybe you can use your skill to beat some sense into your father."

"MOM!" Ran exclaimed in annoyance. Eri put her hands on her daughter's shoulders and gave her a sympathetic, "I know you mean well, Ran. I do. But your father's antics are just too much for me to take. He's never gonna change."

"You never know, mom," Ran said with a smile. "Sometimes, the smallest thing can push you in the right direction."

"Ever the optimist," Eri replied. "I've always admired that about you, Ran." _That makes two of us,_ Shinichi thought as he glanced at Ran's smiling face. _And I hope she never loses it._ Suddenly, their mother-daughter moment was interrupted by the ringing of Eri's phone. She put it on speaker and Kumi's voice soon filled the room. "Kisaki-sama?"

"Yes, Kumi?"

"Maeda-san has arrived." Eri collapsed into her chair, knowing full well what was coming next. She could do nothing but sigh and mumble, "Send her in." No sooner did she finish her sentence than the door to her office blew open and a woman in a blue coat stormed in. The noise startled Ran and Conan as they kept a wide berth of the woman, with the steel-eyed expression on her face letting them know she meant business. She sat down at Eri's desk and slapped her open palms against it, exclaiming, "So is there any update? Has that good-for-nothing prick pulled his head out of his ass and agreed to my terms?"

"First of all, Maeda-san, please watch your language," Eri said as she pointed to Conan. "There are children present." Maeda glanced to her left as Conan gave her a sheepish wave. Upon seeing him, she grunted in disappointment and said, "Fine. But I make no guarantees." She turned her attention back to Eri and once again demanded, "Tell me there's some good news."

"Well," Eri said as she looked through the case file, "it looks like your husband has seen your latest proposal."

"Good. As you can see, I made some adjustments," Kaori exclaimed. "Nothing too serious." All Eri could do was give her an unimpressed stare and say, "You now want full custody of your daughter."

"Yes."

"With zero visitation rights for your husband."

"A child belongs with their mother, Kisaki-sama." A smug grin crept across her face as she added, "Besides, I told him his last stunt wouldn't go unpunished."

"Stunt?" Conan asked. "What kind of stunt?" Kaori turned to him and replied, "Not that it's any of your business, kid, but three days ago I caught that freeloader in the act. He's been trying to buy Rui's affections every chance he gets-showering her with expensive gifts, taking her to theme parks, and traveling all over Japan with her. I was supposed to have my daughter that day, and when I went to his apartment to pick her up, guess what I found?"

Conan shrugged his shoulders.

"An empty apartment. So I decided to make myself at home. I parked my butt on his couch and waited for him the whole day. And the two of them walk into the apartment at 7 p.m. with bags of souvenirs from Tokyo Disneyland. Needless to say, I let him have it."

Ran joined the conversation with a disgusted, "Right in front of your daughter?"

"Of course not. We sent her to her room and shut the door." _Unbelievable,_ Shinichi thought as he narrowed his eyes at Maeda. _Like that's really the better option._ Eri took her glasses off and pinched the bridge of her nose, exclaiming, "And you don't see the problem with that?"

"He kept my daughter from me! He's lucky I didn't call the police!"

"Be that as it may, as your lawyer, I can't condone petty acts of revenge." She passed the proposal form back to Kaori and said, "I want you to revise this. There's no way your husband will agree to these terms." Kaori scowled and yanked the form out from under Eri's fingers before declaring, "One of us is gonna have to blink first. And I guarantee it's not gonna be me." She got out of her chair and turned to leave when Eri's phone rang once again. When she answered it, Kumi said, "Your husband is on the other line, Kisaki-sama. Should I hang up or...?"

"Put him through," Eri said with contempt. Kumi did so, and after two rings, Eri put him on speaker and Kogoro's voice filled the room. "Eri? You there?"

His wife's expression darkened as she exclaimed, "Kogoro, now is _not_ the time! Besides, if you're calling to explain yourself, don't bother! Ran and Conan already told me what happened! You drunken piece of..."

"I'm not calling about that! I'm calling to give you a heads-up!" Eri leaned back in her chair and asked, "A heads-up about what, exactly?"

"Hiro Maeda is coming to your office, and he looked pissed! I don't know if his wife is there or not, but he said he was gonna pay her a little visit!" There was fire in Kaori's eyes as Kogoro concluded with, "Let your security know! I don't know what he's capable of, so be careful! I'm on my way there, too!"

"Thanks for the warning," Eri said as she hung up. She had her finger on the button that connected her to security when Kaori held up her hand and signaled to stop. "Don't call them."

"What do you mean? This is for your safety as well as ours, Maeda-san."

"They'd never get here in time. Odds are he's already in the building, and he's gonna be coming in here right about..." As if on cue, the door exploded open and Hiro Maeda stormed in, charging up to his wife until their noses were practically touching and screaming in her face, "WHO IS IT?! WHO THE HELL DID YOU PUT UP TO IT?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I was buying shoes with our daughter, and someone tried to kidnap her!" Eri's eyes widened in shock as Hiro screamed, "Don't stand there and fucking lie to my face! TELL ME WHO IT IS!"

"Are you high or something, dumbass? I would _never_ do such a thing to my daughter!"

"SHE'S _OUR_ DAUGHTER, YOU FUCKING BITCH! DON'T YOU _EVER_ DISPARAGE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

"And once again, you fail to see the irony in your statement." The Maedas were so caught up in their argument that neither of them noticed Ran and Eri creeping up behind-Ran concentrated on Hiro, and Kaori was Eri's responsibility. They didn't have to wait long, as Kaori declared, "By the time I'm done, you'll never see her again. As far as I'm concerned, you were nothing but a sperm donor!"

Enraged, Hiro let out an animalistic yell and reared back to throw a punch, but Ran reached under his arms and grabbed onto him with all her strength, halting his offense. He struggled against her grip, yelling, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? LET ME GO!"

"No chance!" Ran exclaimed. Unfortunately, Kaori saw her chance for payback and grabbed one of the cups from Eri's desk. She reared back and prepared to throw it, but Eri was quicker and echoed Ran's maneuver with one of her own, jarring the cup out of Kaori's hand and onto the floor. It was at that point that Kogoro arrived on the scene, and the first thing out of his mouth when he entered Eri's office was a shocked, "What the hell's going on here?!"

"Dad?!" With Ran distracted, Hiro used the opening to his advantage and drove his elbow into Ran's side, jarring her grip loose.

"Kogoro?!" With Eri distracted, Kaori used the opening to her advantage and broke free of Eri's grip with a quick forward thrust of her arms, breaking the hold. When she did, the force caused Eri to stumble back and hit her head on the back of her desk. Now it was Kogoro's turn to scream as he charged at the Maedas, intending to pay them back tenfold. Conan gasped in horror and readied his tranquilizer gun wristwatch, taking aim at Hiro. He didn't have to take the shot, though-when Hiro charged at Kogoro, he stepped on the cup Kaori had held and tripped, landing headfirst on the floor and knocking himself out cold. Kogoro, in turn, tripped over Hiro's prone form and landed on the floor with a hard thud, barely managing to keep his head from bouncing off the carpet. Eri tackled Kaori to the floor and pinned her down, hissing, "If you're not out of my office in the next thirty seconds, I will have you arrested for assault and disturbing the peace."

"_He_ assaulted _me!_ Arrest him!"

"He never laid a finger on you," Eri spat. "Now get the hell out!"

"You can't do that to me!"

"She just did," Kogoro replied. "I suggest you do what she says and make tracks." Knowing that there was no way she could win this particular fight, Kaori acquiesced. Eri let her go and she picked herself up off the floor, smoothing out her clothes as she did so. "Fine. I'll revise the terms, just like you said. And as far as he's concerned," she said as she pointed to her unconscious husband, "you can leave him on the corner with the rest of the trash. Good afternoon." Kaori stepped over her husband and Kogoro and left Eri's office without another word, shutting the door behind her. When they knew for sure that she was gone, the quartet breathed a collective sigh of relief as Ran sat up, rubbing her side. When Kogoro looked at her, however, he didn't see his seventeen-year old daughter at all. Instead, he saw her six-year old form groaning in pain. Kogoro let out a small gasp and shook his head, banishing the vision as Conan ran to her side. The boy exclaimed, "Did he hurt you, Ran-neechan?"

"I'm okay, Conan-kun. I'll probably have some bruising later, though. He got me pretty good."

"Bastard," Kogoro mumbled as he got to his feet and stared down at Hiro's unconscious body. "Serves you right for attacking Ran, you piece of crap!" He dragged the body into the hallway and called for security as Ran helped Eri sit down in her chair, asking, "Are you okay, mom? You're not gonna faint, are you?"

"It's nothing serious, Ran. I'm fine." As security carried Hiro out of the building, Kogoro returned to the office and asked, "Need any ice?"

"Please." He went to the fridge and looked inside. The small mini-freezer had no ice to speak of, but he did see a cold can of Pepsi. With that being his best option, he brought it over and said, "Sorry, this is all I could find. Hope this helps." Ran pressed the can to the back of her mother's head as Eri leaned back in the chair and let out a frustrated sigh. "Not one word of concern for me, Kogoro?"

He grinned and replied, "Why should I be concerned? I've been saying you have a hard head for years, and that just proves it."

"Well, I'd rather have a hard head than a drinking problem, dear."

"I don't _have _a drinking problem! What, a guy can't have a few beers every once in a while?"

"If by 'every once in a while' you mean 'every day' and 'a few beers' you mean 'an entire case,' then yes. Yes, you can."

"Why you..." Kogoro and Eri stared daggers at each other for a few seconds before he turned away and crossed his arms. Ran rolled her eyes at her parents' collective immaturity as Conan stood next to Kogoro. "I like your new shoes, uncle. They match your suit."

"Thanks," Kogoro answered as he sat on the corner of Eri's desk. "I didn't think I'd be breaking these in chasing after a criminal and a scorned husband, though."

"I take it you met him earlier?" Ran asked.

"Yeah, at a shoe store. He was there with his daughter, and we talked for a little while before I bought these. Just as I'm about to leave, someone tried to kidnap her and we both chased after 'em. We lost the culprit, but the girl was safe." Kogoro pulled out his cell phone and brought up the picture he had taken earlier. "This is their daughter, Rui," Kogoro said as he handed the phone to Eri. As she looked at the little girl's face, she glanced at Ran and did a double take. "My God...she looks exactly like Ran did at that age."

"Let me see," Ran and Conan said simultaneously as they looked at the photo. Ran gasped in surprise at how much Rui looked like her, and all Shinichi could think was, _Wow. That doesn't just look like Ran. That IS Ran._ Kogoro stared out the window and grumbled, "So much for being a decent, friendly guy."

"What do you mean?" Conan said.

"I mean as soon as we recovered his daughter, he got pissed and started screaming about his wife, and then he started coming here. It was like a switch got flipped-ten minutes before we were talking like adults, and the next thing I know, he's throwing a tantrum."

"Wait," Eri exclaimed. "He left his daughter behind?"

"Yeah. I wound up calling her grandparents and they came to pick her up at the shoe store. I stayed with her until they got there, and then I came straight here."

"What were the grandparents like?" Ran asked.

"All we really did was say hi and thank you, but judging by first impressions, they seemed like decent people. Nothing like these two, I'll tell you that. And the weird thing is, when the perp initially grabbed her, she was screaming and crying, but when we were chasing her, she had the most content look on her face...like she knew who was kidnapping her."

"Speaking of faces, I got a good look at Kaori's just before she left," Conan said. "If what you said about her husband was true, then I guess I saw it happen backwards. Once her husband was knocked out and she had no one to argue with, she calmed down just like that."

"You're right, Conan-kun," Ran replied. "She just left like nothing happened."

Shinichi thought, _So we've got a couple who's constantly at each other's throats fighting over custody, and at the same time, an individual trying to kidnap their daughter. Maybe if I talk to her, I can find out some more information._ Kogoro concluded with, "Sounds like these two are gonna be a real piece of work. I'd better find someone to keep an eye on the girl, just in case."

"Ooh! Ooh! I can do it, uncle," Conan exclaimed as he jumped up and down. "The Detective Boys are on the case!"

_Great,_ Kogoro thought as he rolled his eyes. _The brat HAD to get involved, didn't he?_

Eri got up from her chair and said, "Well, thank you for coming, dear. But since I'm doing just fine, why don't you get on home? You've probably got a lot of drinking and skirt-chasing to catch up on."

"Whatever," Kogoro scoffed as he prepared to leave. "You're not gonna keep that psycho as a client, are you?"

"She followed my instructions," Eri answered. "And now, I want you to do the same. Go home, Kogoro."

"Fine," he said as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "But I'm taking this!"

"Go right ahead." Before Kogoro left, he asked, "Are you and Conan gonna be home tonight, Ran?"

"Yeah, once we're finished visiting."

"Perfect. See you in a few hours." Kogoro left Eri's office and caught the train, riding it back to the stop nearest to his house. His favorite liquor store was within walking distance of the station, and he entered it in order to finish his initial delayed mission. Kogoro headed straight for the walk-in cooler and found exactly what he was looking for: a 24-pack of Union. He had just grabbed the handle when he heard a voice call out, "Daddy?" Kogoro paid it no mind and picked up the case, but when he turned around, he heard the voice once again, loud and clear.

"Daddy? What are you doing?"

Mouri did a complete 360 as he looked around the cooler for the source of the voice, but when he turned back around, he found himself face to face with a six-year old girl. And not just any six-year old girl.

"RAN?!"

* * *

He hadn't had anything to drink since he left the house. It was a seasonable spring day outside-not too hot, not too cold. He hadn't hit his head like Eri did during the scuffle in her office, so there was no reason to be seeing things. Yet here he was, standing in a walk-in cooler staring down at the figure of his daughter when she was six years old...the age she had been when he and Eri split up. Tears filled his eyes as he got down on his knees and asked, "Ran...sweetie...what are you doing in here?"

"Mommy sent me to find you," the little girl whimpered. "She wants you to come back home."

"But that's where I'm going, right after I buy this," Kogoro said as he patted the case. "I'll be home before you know it."

Little Ran sadly glanced at the case and asked, "Are you gonna drink that tonight, daddy? If you do, you won't be able to play with me or read my favorite bedtime story." The tears that had been welling in Kogoro's eyes were now falling down his cheeks as he looked away and dragged his shirt sleeve across his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"N...nothing," Kogoro lied. "Some dust got in my eyes, that's all. You know I love you, right?"

"I do."

"And you know that I'd do anything for you. So tell me what you want me to do."

"Can you stop drinking?" Kogoro looked away again and replied, "That's...that's...yeah. Of course."

Little Ran frowned in disappointment and sighed, "You're lying." Kogoro could feel his heart sink as he tried to explain himself. "Sweetie, daddy needs this to concentrate. It's something that helps me...become a better detective. If I can't help the people who need me, what good am I?"

"But mommy and I need you, daddy."

"Ran...baby..._please._ Let me have this."

"You can't keep doing this." That phrase stopped Mouri dead in his tracks as he whipped his head around so he was once again face to face with little Ran. Unfortunately, the only thing he was looking at now was a patch of the cement floor. Kogoro was shaking his head as he got up off his knees, grabbed the case of beer and walked out of the cooler towards the checkout. He had only taken six steps when he felt the same sinking feeling in his gut as before-he had never felt like this in his entire life, but now, all of a sudden those 24 cans of beer felt like an anchor around his arm. Kogoro dropped to one knee, let out a hard gasp and started breathing heavily. _What the hell's wrong? It was just a hallucination, Mouri! Buy the booze and let's get outta here!_

"Yeah...I will." Kogoro stood up with case in hand and walked back to the cooler. He placed the cube back on the pallet he'd taken it from and walked back out with a mere six-pack. The clerk was shocked at his purchase, exclaiming, "Whoa, Mouri-san! Just a six-pack today?"

"Yeah," Kogoro replied as he handed him the money. "I've gotta get home to my daughter." He took his change and headed back home, and when he entered his office, the silence was deafening. Kogoro let out a sad sigh as he placed the beer in the mini fridge and collapsed into his chair, burying his face in his hands.

"Dammit, Eri...you were right again."


	3. Buying Affection

MONDAY

The sun shone down on the Detective Boys as they walked along the sidewalk. Conan remained silent as the group headed towards Teitan Elementary, with his friends discussing the adventures they'd had over the weekend.

"It was crazy," Mitsuhiko exclaimed. "The water line outside our apartment building broke, and there was a huge geyser shooting into the air right in front of us! Luckily, the maintenance crews were able to fix it within a few hours, but I've never seen anything like that before!"

"That's nothing," Genta exclaimed. "Last night, I set a new personal record! Five bowls of unajuu! It was one of the greatest days of my life!"

"Five bowls?" Ayumi said. "That's amazing!"

"Well, when you have an appetite like mine, it's nothing, really. Maybe next weekend I'll go for six!"

Haibara shuddered at that thought before sharing her story. "The professor had a small breakthrough this weekend on my behalf. I've been trying to get him to cut back on fried foods for a while now, so I took the liberty of buying an air fryer. I made some chicken breast with it, and when I served it to him, he couldn't even tell the difference."

"So you're gonna use it for his meals from now on?" Genta asked.

"That's right. After all, someone's gotta keep him healthy."

"You two are like an old married couple," Mitsuhiko said with a chuckle.

"And here I was, ready to propose to him," Haibara cracked. "Looks like I don't need to worry." She gave Mitsuhiko a smug grin as Ayumi said, "My parents and I went to Maxell Aqua Park! It was so beautiful...all the different kinds of jellyfish, the dolphin show, Little Paradise..." Her eyes widened in delight as she continued with, "We walked through this underwater tunnel, and there were so many fish and sea creatures swimming all around us! We were about halfway through when my daddy tapped me on the shoulder and told me to look up, and all of a sudden, a giant manta ray swam right over us!"

"WHOA!" Genta exclaimed. "That's so cool!"

Mitsuhiko exclaimed, "I wanna go just to see that! That sounds awesome!"

"Looks like your story wins, Ayumi-chan," Haibara said with a smile. "Well, I don't know, Haibara-chan," she answered. "We haven't heard Conan-kun's story yet."

"Yeah," Genta agreed. "In fact, you haven't said a thing since we started walking. Is something bothering you?"

"Actually, there is." Conan sighed and said, "Ran-neechan and I went to visit her mom at her office this weekend, and she was dealing with a client. It was a divorce case, and the lady was only there for a few minutes when her husband ran in and started screaming at her."

Mitsuhiko's eyes widened in alarm as he asked, "They didn't start hitting each other, did they?"

"They were about to, but Ran-neechan and Kisaki-sensei stopped them. When Uncle Kogoro showed up, they got loose and he ran at them, but the husband tripped on a drink cup and knocked himself out. After that, his wife left like nothing happened."

"Sounds like they're a couple of real winners, Edogawa-kun," Haibara said in disgust.

"It gets worse. They have a daughter, and they're fighting over custody."

"Oh, geez," Genta mumbled.

"From what I heard her say, her revision of the settlement gave her full custody and her husband no visitation rights. She said it was because he went to Tokyo Disneyland with their daughter, but I've got a feeling she's lying. There's gotta be another reason she reacted so severely."

"Should we take it up as a case?" Ayumi asked.

"I think we should. Her daughter is the same age as us, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for her in school today. This is what she looks like." Conan pulled out his phone and showed the picture to his friends, and they studied the picture attentively while Shinichi thought, _Lucky I copied that picture to my phone last night._

Genta puffed out his chest and declared, "Then it's settled! The Detective Boys are on the case!" He, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi struck a pose as Haibara and Conan stared at them in bemusement, with Haibara saying, "Let them have their fun. If you're right, this is gonna get real ugly real quick."

"I know," Conan answered. "Hopefully we can find her with no issues." They arrived at Teitan Elementary and headed to their classroom, and as the day passed by, there was no sign of Rui. When school let out for the day, the Detective Boys were heading towards the exit when Ayumi noticed a little girl patiently waiting near the school gate. "Can I see that picture again, Conan-kun?"

"Sure." He showed it to her, and after a comparison between the two, she exclaimed, "I think that's her!"

Conan did the same and he replied, "I think you're right. Let's go introduce ourselves." They approached the little girl and Ayumi introduced them with a friendly, "Excuse me?"

The girl turned around and replied, "Yes?"

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"I am. My mommy is coming to pick me up any minute now. What's your name?"

"My name's Ayumi, and these are the Detective Boys! This is Mitsuhiko, Ai, Genta and Conan." The quartet then introduced themselves with an enthusiastic "Hi!"

"Nice to meet you all. My name's Rui."

_Perfect,_ Shinichi thought. _Let's see what we can find out._ Conan asked, "Your mommy is the only one coming to pick you up? Where's your daddy?" Rui frowned and looked away, saying, "My parents...don't live together anymore. Today's my mommy's day to spend with me."

"What happened that made them split up?" Genta asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that...whenever they're together, they scream and yell at each other and say bad words. I don't hear them, because they make me cover my ears."

Mitsuhiko shifted uncomfortably and asked, "They don't...hit you, do they?"

"Oh, no. None of them touch me except to give me hugs or hold my hand. They both say they love me, but they have a really funny way of showing it."

"How so?" Haibara asked.

"They try and buy me all sorts of things. Yesterday, my daddy was going to buy me a really expensive pair of shoes before that mean person tried to take me."

"Whoa!" Genta exclaimed. "Someone tried to kidnap you?!"

"Uh huh."

"Did you get a good look at them?"

"No, but they smelled like plum blossoms. I don't know if that helps..."

"Any information is good information," Conan assured her with a smile. "Do you think you could help us out with something?"

"What do you need?"

"I want you to have this, just in case that person tries to take you again," Conan said as he handed her his Detective Boys badge. "There's a tracker built into the badge, so we'll be able to see where you are in case worse comes to worst. Hopefully that won't happen, but..."

Rui smiled at his gesture, then leaned in and gave him a kiss. Conan blushed heavily as Genta and Mitsuhiko fumed behind him, while Ayumi and Haibara shared a laugh. "Thank you...all of you. I'll make sure to hold onto this."

"It was nice meeting you, Rui-kun. Stay safe."

"I will." A dark blue Nissan pulled up to the curb and the driver's side window descended to reveal Kaori Maeda. She got a good look at the scene before her and asked, "Did you make some new friends, sweetie?"

"I sure did, mommy! These are the Detective Boys!" As she looked them over, Kaori recognized Conan immediately. She pointed at him and waved him over to the window, and he obliged. Her eyes darted back and forth as she leaned down and whispered, "I just want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I truly didn't mean to hurt Kisaki-sama. That man just...gives me nothing but grief."

"I could tell," Conan replied.

"Thanks for keeping my daughter company." Rui climbed into the rear passenger seat and the car drove away. As it vanished into the distance, Conan activated his tracking glasses and brought up Rui's current location-she was still on the road, heading east. The Detective Boys walked in the same direction, keeping pace as best they could.

* * *

Kogoro shut the door to his office and went straight for the refrigerator, pulling out an apple and the bottle of water he'd taken from Eri's office. He took a big bite of the fruit as he turned the TV on, letting the news play on as he sat down at his desk, but no sooner did his butt hit the chair than a knock at the door caught his attention. _It can't be Ran,_ he thought. _School just let out. Maybe it's a potential case...hopefully with a beautiful lady attached to it!_ He straightened up and opened the door only to find himself looking straight into the face of Hiro Maeda. As soon as he recognized who it was, Kogoro's eyes narrowed and he let out an aggravated, "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"Is that how you greet all your potential clients, Mouri-san?"

"No, it's just how I greet the ones who attack my daughter. You've got a lot of guts knocking on my door after the shit you pulled yesterday." Maeda grinned and cracked, "Don't tell me you've never seen two people fight before."

"That's not what I'm talking about, smartass! You elbowed my daughter in the chest just so you could attack your wife! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Maeda paled at the revelation and stammered, "I...I didn't know she was your daughter, Mouri-san."

Kogoro crossed his arms and exclaimed, "And now you're gonna stand there and lie to me. You seriously didn't hear her scream 'Dad' after I came into the office?" Maeda replied with a sheepish, "No. I honestly didn't. I was so angry that I couldn't concentrate on anything other than my goddamn wife...soon to be ex-wife, I should say. You've been that angry before, haven't you?"

"I have, but I still had enough presence of mind to act like a human being. Now go away." Kogoro began to shut the door, and he had it nearly all the way closed when Maeda stuck his hand against the opposite side and kept it open. "Two things, Mouri-san! First, I never got a chance to say it yesterday, but...thank you for rescuing my daughter. Second-"

"If you're trying to suck up to me, you're doing a terrible job," Kogoro countered. "I'm not interested in anything you have to offer, so I'm gonna say it one more time. GO. AWAY." Mouri attempted to push the door shut once again, but Maeda held fast. "Please, just...just listen to my offer! I'm not going anywhere until you do!"

Kogoro rolled his eyes and opened the door so he was once again face to face with Hiro. "Fine. You have thirty seconds to convince me."

"I think I know who the kidnapper was." Mouri crossed his arms and said, "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. When they elbowed me in the gut, I got a whiff of plum blossom. Kaori's parents have a bunch of them growing in their front yard out in Komae, and I can't help but think that that bitch has those two helping her. Just pay them a visit and see what you can find. They've gotta be involved somehow."

"Don't need to. I told them what happened when they came to pick up your daughter." Hiro's eyes widened as Kogoro spat, "Stop obsessing over your wife and concentrate on your kid. I'm not taking your case." He slammed the door, locked it and returned to his desk, reaching into the mini fridge for a can of Union. Kogoro cracked it open and was just about to put it to his lips when his phone rang. "Hello?"

Conan replied with a cheerful, "Hi, uncle Kogoro! Sorry I'm late getting home, but my friends and I met Rui at school today!"

"Oh, you did, huh? And where are you now?"

"Tokyo Midtown." Kogoro grinned and asked, "And where'd you get the money to go hang out at Tokyo Midtown?"

"Haibara wanted to check out a fashion boutique here in the mall. We just came here to browse before we come home."

"Well, make sure you get home before sundown. It's a school night."

"Sure thing, uncle!" Conan hung up his phone and turned to the Detective Boys with a smug grin on his face. "He bought it."

"Good, because now that you mention it, I _do_ want to see what these boutiques have to offer," Haibara said.

"Maybe some other time, Haibara-chan," Mitsuhiko said. "We've gotta find out where Rui and her mom went." Genta scanned the throngs of shoppers and found no trace of them as the Detective Boys made their way into the heart of the mall. Conan's tracking glasses indicated that Rui was indeed in the mall, but where was anyone's guess. After ten minutes, they passed by a small army of men's wear stores on the main floor when Conan's radar started beeping. He stopped in his tracks and said, "It looks like Rui's in one of the stores to our left. Although, these stores don't exactly look like they'd have anything for kids."

"There's a notsobig on the floor above us," Ayumi said. "They sell nothing but clothes for kids...expensive ones."

"Then let's go," Genta said as the group made their way towards the nearby escalator. The signal grew ever stronger as they ascended to the second floor and headed for the entrance to the store. When they entered, the signal grew stronger still as the Detective Boys approached the girls' section of the store, and at that point, the signal indicated that Rui and her mother were practically on top of them. As they rounded the corner past the dressing rooms, they could see Rui and her mother standing right in front of them, with Kaori holding all sorts of clothes in her arms and smiling as Rui twirled around in a bright blue dress. The Detective Boys made sure to stay out of sight as Conan pulled out his cell phone and began to take pictures of the scene before them.

* * *

"Dad! Dad, wake up! Conan has something he wants to show you!"

Ran jostled Kogoro's shoulder, jarring him awake almost immediately. As he cleared the sleep from his eyes, he replied, "What's that? A school project he's been working on? A report card? One of his friends?"

"Actually, I just wanted to show you some pictures," Conan said as he held out his phone. "Take a look!" Kogoro took the phone, asking, "What the hell could you have possibly found, brat?"

"Plenty. Rui and her mom were at the notsobig store in Tokyo Midtown, and..." He gestured towards the phone and cycled to the appropriate pictures, and when he saw them, Kogoro was galvanized. The first photo had Kaori holding a pair of dresses in her arms, a proud smile on her face as she watched her daughter model the dress she was wearing. Rui herself was in mid-twirl, a small smile on her face. Kogoro was in disbelief as he cycled through the remaining photos Conan had taken.

A pair of children's high heels. Over 25,000 yen.

Another blue dress identical to the one Rui was modeling. Almost 27,000 yen.

A child-sized handbag. Over 54,000 yen. Ran let out an offended gasp at the evidence and exclaimed, "Unbelievable! She complains about her husband trying to buy their daughter's love, and here she is doing the exact same thing! What a hypocrite!"

"Wait," Kogoro said. "When did she say that?"

"She said that before you arrived at mom's office yesterday," Ran explained. "I had a feeling that she was doing the exact same thing, and this proves it." Kogoro looked over at Ran, and to his shock, she once again appeared as the precocious six-year old he had seen in the cooler. He shook his head and banished the vision, asking her, "I never tried doing anything like that, did I? After...your mom and I split up?"

A look of worry appeared on Ran's face as she replied, "Not that I can remember. I mean, you and mom always took care of me as best you could. We did daddy-daughter stuff all the time, but you never tried to buy my affections. And neither did mom." Ran held her father's hands and reassured him, "You're not a bad father. You have your faults, but who doesn't? I love you, and I always will."

It was all Kogoro could do to keep from crying as he enveloped Ran in a big hug. Conan smiled as he watched the two of them share their moment, and once father and daughter broke their embrace, Kogoro handed Conan his phone as he took the can of beer with his free hand. "What do you want me to do with this, uncle?"

"Toss it. Warm beer defeats its purpose." Shinichi poured the liquid down the sink and glanced back over his shoulder, thinking to himself, _Maybe this is the smallest thing Ran was talking about. Kogoro just might be turning the corner._ He tossed the can in the recyclables and headed upstairs, with Kogoro and Ran following him to the living quarters.

"Don't worry, dad," Ran assured him as she held his hand. "You don't have to do anything to earn my love."

"But when it comes to your mother, I've gotta do something," Kogoro said with a sigh. "I just wish I knew what it was."

"You're a detective. Sooner or later you'll figure it out." Kogoro gave Ran another hug and replied, "Thanks, sweetie." That statement stopped Ran in her tracks as she thought, _Sweetie? Dad hasn't called me that since I was a little girl. What is going on?_


	4. Audacity

TUESDAY

There was no need for Rui to set her alarm, because like every other day her parents were together, she awoke from her sleep to the sound of muffled voices yelling at each other. That could only mean one thing, and she shrank in sadness as she opened her bedroom door. Sure enough, her mommy and daddy were at each other's throats again, and she listened as their argument echoed through the apartment.

"I can't buy my daughter something nice every once in a while?" Kaori demanded.

"She's _our_ daughter," Hiro countered. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"You didn't answer my question, dumbass! Am I not allowed to buy her something nice?"

Hiro let out a sarcastic laugh and retorted with, "I should be asking _you_ that question, Kaori. Because it seems like every time I try to do something with her or get her a little gift, you jump down my throat and make me out to be the bad guy!"

"Because all you do is try to buy her affections!"

"And you don't?!" Hiro shoved the notsobig receipt in her face and exclaimed, "Because I've got a 110,000-yen bill right here that says otherwise! How is this any different from me taking her to Tokyo Disneyland?"

"THAT WAS MY DAY TO HAVE HER, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! You really think you could just pull a stunt like that and not have it go unpunished?"

"Unpunished?" Hiro's eyes widened as he demanded, "Kaori, _what did you do?"_

"Oh...you haven't seen the updated terms, have you?" She tossed the divorce settlement at him, and Hiro was able to snatch it before it floated to the floor. As he read through the document, Kaori could see him getting angrier and angrier before he crumpled up the paper and threw it back at her, screaming, "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Zero visitation rights because I made an honest mistake?!"

"Honest, my ass. You're _always_ making mistakes."

"And you're gonna stand there and tell me that you don't?"

"Oh, I have. The biggest mistake I ever made was saying 'I do.'" Hiro seethed with rage as Kaori gloated, "I don't care what Kisaki-sama says; I'm not changing these terms. You don't deserve to be her father."

"And you don't deserve to be her mother, you spiteful bitch!" Kaori flipped the table over and prepared to attack her husband, but the two of them were quickly stopped when Rui toddled into the living room and sadly asked, "Why are you fighting again?" The blood drained from Hiro and Kaori's faces as they righted the table and sat down, trying in vain to put on a facade of togetherness. "Sweetie, mommy and daddy are having a conversation for adults," Hiro said. "Just cover your ears and-"

"But I'm tired of covering my ears, daddy. I don't like seeing you screaming and yelling at each other." Rui began to cry as she begged, "Why can't you be nice to each other? Why can't you be nice to _me?"_

That question hit the Maedas like a dagger to the heart as Kaori replied with a shaken, "But we _are_ nice to you, baby. You have everything you could ever want."

"No, I don't," Rui sobbed. "I don't care about the clothes or the stuffed animals or the trips or the toys! The only thing I want is _you!_ I want you to stop fighting! I want us to be a _family!"_

"But...but honey..."

"No buts! I want grandma and grandpa to pick me up from school today! At least when _they_ argue, they say they're sorry afterwards!" Rui stormed to her bedroom and slammed the door, which served as a signal to Hiro that it was time for him to leave. He grabbed his jacket and opened the door, but before he left, he turned around and spat, "It's _your_ fault that she's acting like this."

"Oh, I know it's your fault. Now get the hell out of my house before I have you arrested for assault."

"I never touched you, you stupid..." Kaori cut him off by holding up the crumpled divorce agreement with a smug grin. Hiro narrowed his eyes at her and declared, "This isn't over."

"Yes, it is. OUT."

Hiro slammed the door as hard as he could, knocking some pictures off of the wall in the process. Kaori smoothed out the paper and stared at it for a few seconds before she thought to herself, _Looks like I'm gonna have to do this the hard way._ A devious smile was on her face as she pulled out her phone and looked up her finances. She and Hiro still shared a bank account, and after cycling through their history of written checks, she found exactly what she was looking for.

* * *

Eri sat in her office drinking her afternoon tea when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Kisaki-sama!" the voice said sweetly. "It's Kaori Maeda!"

Eri let out an exhausted sigh and said, "Maeda-san, if you had any other lawyer, they would've dropped you like a ton of bricks after what you pulled on Sunday. Consider yourself lucky."

"And I do. Listen, I took your advice and revised the divorce agreement."

"Has your husband read it?"

"Of course! He even signed off on it, too!" A suspicious glare was in Eri's eyes as she pretended to be happy for her, exclaiming, "Great! Bring it down to my office and we'll get everything squared away."

"I'm already on my way. I should be there in about five minutes."

"Wonderful. See you in a few." Eri pressed the receiver button and called security as soon as she heard the line go dead. "Security. How can we help you?"

"This is Eri Kisaki on the tenth floor. I'm just requesting a couple of officers in my office within the next five minutes. The client that visited me on Sunday is coming back, and I don't want a repeat of what happened last time."

"We'll get some officers up there as soon as we can, Kisaki-sama."

"Thank you very much." Eri hung up the phone and sat patiently at her desk with her hands folded, knowing in her mind that something wasn't right. Just then, two security guards entered her office and stood on either side of her, with Eri giving a pleasant greeting to each as they did so. The trio stood ready as the door opened and Kaori Maeda walked into the office, a satisfied grin on her face. The first thing she said after she sat down was, "What's with the extra security?"

"I take it you forgot what happened on Sunday," Eri said with a hint of contempt. "This is just a necessary precaution to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I guarantee nothing like that is gonna happen today, Kisaki-sama. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry that happened to you."

"That's the first time I've heard you apologize for _anything_ in the time you've been my client. You're making progress." Kaori narrowed her eyes in irritation as Eri asked, "You said you revised the divorce settlement?"

"I did. And when I showed it to my husband, he finally did the right thing for once in his useless life and signed it." She pulled out the settlement and handed it to Eri, who looked at it for what seemed like forever, but was actually about a minute and a half. When she was done, she stood up and said, "Can I take a closer look at this in private, please?" Kaori's eyes widened ever so slightly at that suggestion, something Eri noticed right away. "Uh...you shouldn't need to. I signed it, he signed it, everything's the way it should be."

"I see that. I just found some...irregularities."

"What...kind of irregularities?" Kaori asked as she began to sweat.

"First of all, you told me that you revised the custody arrangements." Eri pointed to the paperwork and exclaimed, "Not only did you _not_ revise them, you actively made them worse! Now in addition to zero visitation rights for your husband, you have a provision forbidding him from ever having _any_ contact whatsoever with Rui!"

Kaori gulped back her nerves as Eri continued: "Second, there's the fact that throughout this entire process, not once-_not once-_ have you changed the provision regarding the distribution of marital assets! From the very start, every single solitary bit of income the two of you have made over the last seven years goes to you, and _only_ you! Nothing for your husband and nothing for your daughter! All of it goes to Kaori Maeda!"

Kaori was sweating through her clothes as Eri's verbal smackdown reached its apex with a furious, "And third, you actually had the audacity to forge his signature!" Eri pulled out a piece of older paperwork with Hiro's signature on it and practically shoved it in Kaori's face with a thunderous, "You see that? That little piece jutting out on the right of the top hiragana? Your husband has signed every piece of paperwork exactly the same!" To prove her point, Eri pulled every form with Hiro's signature out of the case file and laid them on the desk in front of Kaori, forcing her to realize the magnitude of her error. Eri was irate as she spat, "Who in the hell do you think you are? Did you really think you could pull the wool over my eyes with this pathetic little stunt?! What could your husband have possibly done to make you so hell-bent on ruining his life?! Do you really hate him that much?!"

That last question had a galvanizing effect on Kaori as she quickly regained her composure and sat up in her chair with a newfound confidence. "I don't know. Do _you?"_

Her question stopped Eri dead in her tracks as she sputtered out, "Wh...what did you say?"

"You heard me. I saw the way you reacted when he called you that day. The way your whole attitude changed in an instant, the way you lost your composure as soon as you heard his voice. Sounds to me like we're both in the same boat."

Eri sat down in her chair and retorted with a curt, "The only difference between you and me is that I don't try to actively ruin his life when he screws up. Don't think you can get out of this by trying to be my psychiatrist."

"All I'm doing is giving you my honest opinion, Kisaki-sama." Kaori pointed at Eri's left hand with a confident grin and said, "I see you're still wearing your wedding ring. I'm just gonna throw this out there and guess that you're divorced?

"Separated," Eri said with emphasis. "There's a difference."

"And how long have you been separated?"

"That's none of your business."

"Come on. Just between us." There was nowhere for Eri to hide. She had engaged Maeda in this conversation, and now it was time to bear her scars. She hung her head and replied, "Ten years."

"TEN YEARS?!" Kaori collapsed into derisive laughter, nearly falling out of her chair in the process. "You've been waiting on this guy to get his act together for a decade? Geez, and you have the nerve to call _me_ pathetic..."

Seething with rage, Eri burst out of her seat and stabbed her finger towards the door, yelling, "THAT'S IT! As of this moment, you are no longer my client! Take your crappy little forgery and _get the hell out of my sight!"_

Kaori frowned and said, "I'm not saying anything that isn't true." She got up from her seat and took the divorce agreement back, delivering one final parting shot before she left. "Just between you and me, if I was in your shoes, I'd have cut the cord nine years ago. What's the point in waiting around for someone who's never gonna change?" Eri responded with a repeated jab of her finger towards the door. Kaori complied, but not before leaving with a smug, "You know I'm right, Kisaki-sama. It's time you gave up on him." She shut the door and left Eri to stew alongside the security guards, one of whom asked, "Do you need us for anything else?"

"No. You can both leave." The guards did so as Eri dialed Kumi and asked, "Do I have any other appointments scheduled today?"

"Let's see," Kumi said. "You have an estate settlement coming up in an hour and a half, and a workplace injury case at three." Eri removed her glasses and put her hand to her face as she said, "Kumi-san, see if you can have them reschedule. Something important came up, and I need to get back home."

"Is everything alright?" Kumi asked with concern.

"Everything's fine. I hate to do this on such short notice, but there's a family matter I need to take care of. I'm sure they'll understand."

"I'll do my best, Kisaki-sama."

"Thank you, Kumi-san." Eri grabbed her briefcase and her coat and left her office, catching the train back to her apartment. The first thing she did when she walked in the door was head straight for her kitchen and grab a bottle of wine from her refrigerator. She poured herself a glass and sat down at the kitchen table, trying in vain to calm her nerves. Kaori's words echoed in her head as she emptied the glass, with Eri letting out a frustrated sigh as she put her head in her hands. Dead silence hung in the air until a child's voice turned her attention to the living room.

"You don't believe that mean lady, do you, mommy?" To Eri's shock, the voice came from the six-year old visage of her daughter. Little Ran stepped into the kitchen and stood at the foot of the kitchen table, asking, "You'd never give up on daddy like that, would you?"

Eri stared at the ring on her finger and sighed. "No. Never. For all of his faults...and he has a lot of them...he's still a good person at heart. I just wish he'd get his act together."

"Do you think he will? Because I miss you, mommy. Home...doesn't feel like home without you there."

"I know, honey. I...I know."

"You didn't leave because I was bad, did you?" Eri gasped as tears welled in her eyes, and they soon began to fall as she said, "Ran...you're not the reason I left. Please, don't ever think that. Your father and I...just decided that it would be best if we didn't live together anymore."

"But it's been ten years, mommy. Why can't you and daddy say you're sorry?" _Because we're both stubborn,_ Eri thought as she wiped her eyes. _We each have to be right and damn the consequences._ She regained her composure as best she could and replied, "Because your daddy needs to shape up. He needs to stop drinking and lusting after other women."

"And what about you? Is there anything you need to change?" Eri opened her mouth to respond, but the words died on her lips. She sat in silent contemplation as she racked her brain to come up with some kind of answer, and after two minutes, she found it. "I need to stop treating him like a child. I need to see the good he does instead of concentrating on the bad. I need to stop shutting him out."

"Do you think you can do that, mommy?"

"Of course, Ran," Eri said with a tearful smile. "For your sake."

"Don't just do it for me. Do it for yourself...and for daddy." Little Ran put her hand on Eri's knee and said, "I believe in you, mommy. I know you can do it."

Eri swooped down and enveloped little Ran in a giant hug, picking her up and rocking her back and forth. The smile on her face betrayed the tears falling from her eyes as she held onto the little girl, and when she tried to face her eye to eye, she instead found herself looking at her arms, clutched tight around nothing but air. She was now left alone with her thoughts, which turned to her teenage daughter and her husband. Eri pulled out her cell phone and dialed Kogoro's number, still not quite believing what she was about to do. The line rang three times before she heard a gruff "Hello?" on the other end.

"Kogoro...it's me."

"Eri?! Uh..." The sound of rustling paper and a shocked yell filled her ear as Kogoro fell out of his chair on his end of the call. Eri rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle as her husband said, "Whatever it was, I didn't do it! You can't prove anything!"

"I'm not calling to fight, Kogoro. I just want to talk."

"About what?" Eri let out an aggravated groan and replied, "Kaori Maeda reached a new low today."

"And now that you mention it, so did her husband," Kogoro spat. "There's probably a lot to unpack between the two of us-are you free tonight?"

"I am, as a matter of fact."

"Do you want to meet up and talk about it?" Eri thought it over, remaining silent for a long time. So long, in fact, that Kogoro thought he lost the connection. "Are you still there?"

"I'm still here. And yes, I'd like to meet up and talk."

"Great! Does Shari work for you?"

"A sushi bar works just fine. Just make sure you stay sober while we're talking."

"I'll try my best. See you in a couple hours?"

"Sounds good." Eri hung up the phone and walked over to her bookcase, opening the center glass door and taking out a framed picture. It was a candid outdoor photo with five-year old Ran smiling brightly as she and Kogoro stood behind her as a unified front, beaming smiles on their faces. Eri let out a wistful sigh as she said, "Look at how young we were. Look at how _happy_ we were." She shook her head in sadness and placed the photo back in the bookcase, whispering, "I wish we could be that way again." She shut the glass door and retreated to the bathroom to prepare for her meeting with her husband.


	5. The Next Step

TUESDAY, 7 PM

It was a clear, brisk night and the moon shone down upon greater Tokyo as Eri stepped off the train. More than a few men stopped for a quick glance, with some even offering wolf whistles as she passed by-those men earned a contemptuous glare from either their companions or from Eri herself. As soon as she stepped into the streets of Tokyo, she became just another face in the crowd as she made her way towards the sushi bar. _Knowing Kogoro, he's probably on his fourth beer by this point,_ she thought with a grimace. _If he's that drunk when I arrive, I'm not even gonna bother._ After about ten minutes, she arrived at the restaurant. Before she entered, she glanced through the window, and sure enough, there was Kogoro, sitting at the bar.

_Don't disappoint me._

Eri took a deep breath and opened the door, approaching the open chair next to her husband. Kogoro paid no attention as he absentmindedly stirred the straw in his drink and glanced at the menu. He was just about to ask for a new drink when he felt a hand upon his shoulder. When he turned around to see who it was, the sight of Eri's face caused him to exclaim, "I'm not drunk!"

"Yet." She sat down beside him and asked, "How many drinks have you had, Kogoro?"

"Come on, Eri," he groaned. "You're really gonna do this?"

"Yes." Kogoro rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh, replying with, "Fine. I've had three drinks."

"And on a scale from one to ten, how drunk do you feel?"

Kogoro narrowed his eyes in irritation and replied, "One." Eri echoed his expression before turning towards the bartender and asking him, "Sir, a few questions: how long has my husband been sitting here, and how many drinks has he had?" The bartender glanced at Kogoro and replied, "He's only been here about an hour by my watch, and he's had three drinks. Nothing but water."

Eri's face softened as she asked, "Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent. I refilled his glass myself, so I would know." The bartender left to take an order at the end of the counter while Kogoro glared at Eri, grumbling, "I told you I wasn't drunk."

"I know. And for once, I'm glad to be wrong." Kogoro arched his eyebrow in surprise as he thought, _Holy crap...did I just win an argument with the Queen of Lawyers? I think I did!_ He quickly put it out of his mind, however, knowing that the two of them had more important matters to attend to. "You said on the phone earlier that Maeda-san reached a new low. How low are we talking?"

Eri took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, replying, "About as low as you can get. You know that they're both fighting for custody of Rui, right?"

"Hiro mentioned it," Kogoro replied with distaste. "I take it the terms she wants are less than ideal?"

"Very much so. Full custody for her, zero visitation rights for him." Kogoro shook his head in disbelief and asked, "What the hell did he do? Was he abusive or..."

"He took Rui to Tokyo Disneyland." It was all Kogoro could do not to spit out his drink as he recoiled in shock. "Are you kidding me? For taking her to a theme park? What the hell is wrong with this woman?!" Eri let out an exhausted sigh and replied, "That's exactly what I was thinking. She said the day he took Rui there was her custody day, but..."

"But what? Do you have anything showing their initial custody arrangements, like a calendar or a contract or something?" Eri shook her head and replied with a disgusted, "They never wrote anything down. It was all verbal."

"Yeah, great planning," Kogoro cracked. "This is why you never do anything important when you're pissed." He took a drink from his glass as Eri gave her order to the bartender, asking, "Do you think she was mistaken?"

"I don't know," Eri replied. "All I know is that I told her to revise the conditions, and not only did they stay the same, she put in a provision that basically cuts Hiro out of Rui's life forever: a restraining order." Kogoro was in disbelief, which quickly turned to contempt as Eri delivered the hammer: "And the crazy bitch actually had the audacity to forge her husband's signature. After I figured that out, I dropped her as a client immediately."

"Hell, I'm amazed you didn't drop her after the scuffle in your office," Kogoro said as he took another drink. "That's what I would've done."

"And in retrospect, that's what I _should've_ done. The Maedas have been nothing but trouble ever since I took their case. Constant fighting, bickering and name-calling, and a total disregard for their daughter. Not _once_ during this entire process have I heard either of them call her by her name."

"Like she's a means to an end," Kogoro mumbled in sadness. "It's not fair that Rui has to put up with this. Two parents who can't stand each other..." He looked over at his wife with a sad gaze, watching as she took a drink from her glass. _After we split up...that was us. If we'd let our anger get the best of us, who knows what we would've done-not just to each other, but to Ran. How can someone think they're more important than their fucking kid? _Kogoro turned away from Eri so she wouldn't see the tears in his eyes, coughing to hide his emotions. "What she did was stupid, no doubt, but her husband did something even stupider. Listen to this..."

* * *

TUESDAY, 3:15 PM

Kogoro reached into the mini fridge and pulled out a can of Union, cracking it open and taking a sip. On any other day, he'd have polished off the can in no time flat, but ever since the fateful meeting in the shoe store, liquor had been the last thing on his mind. The bitter taste of alcohol lingered on his tongue as he set the can on the windowsill and opened the top right drawer of his desk. He lifted up a series of manila envelopes and retrieved a photograph from the drawer, studying the slightly faded memory before him. It was a picture of him, Eri and five year old Ran in happier times, smiling broadly as they posed for the photo. A wistful smile appeared on Kogoro's face as he thought back to that day, and his thoughts were echoed by an unexpected guest.

"We had so much fun that day, daddy," little Ran said as she peeked over his shoulder. "It was a beautiful, sunny day and we spent all of it at the park. You and mommy were so proud of me after I went down the big slide."

"I remember," Kogoro said with a laugh. "And you liked it so much that we couldn't get you off of it. You kept saying, 'Watch me, daddy! Watch me, mommy! I'm doing it!'" Little Ran laughed and replied, "I was the bravest girl on the playground!"

"Yes, you were. And eleven years later, you're still the bravest girl I know."

"Thank you, daddy," she replied as she gave him a hug. Even though he knew she was a figment of his imagination, Kogoro returned her embrace with a warm smile. "I love you so much, Ran. Never forget that." As he lowered her to the floor, he noticed that her smile had been replaced with a disappointed frown. Kogoro's face fell as he asked, "What's wrong?"

Little Ran pointed at the can of beer and said, "You're still drinking. I thought you said you were going to stop."

"I...I'm trying to, honey. If it's any consolation, I barely drank any of this." She poked at the can and realized it was still nearly full, and she asked, "Is that because I showed up?"

"No, no. For whatever reason, I just...haven't felt like drinking lately."

"It's those mean people you and mommy are dealing with, isn't it?" Kogoro stared off into the distance and nodded his head with a grimace. "It's not just them, honey. They have a daughter...and she looks just like you."

"I know...and I feel so bad for her. I'm just glad you and mommy never tried to buy my love."

"So am I." Kogoro ruffled her hair and said, "You're too valuable for that."

"Thanks, daddy. By the way, your phone's about to ring." Sure enough, as soon as she finished her sentence, the phone on Kogoro's desk did just that. He glanced at it, and then back to little Ran, but she was gone, leaving nothing but an empty office. Kogoro grunted and picked up the phone. "Mouri Detective Agency. How can I help you?"

"This is Hiro Maeda calling-" As soon as he heard that name, Kogoro slammed the phone down. Ten seconds of silence ensued before the phone rang again, and he answered with an irritated, "Hello?" Maeda replied with an equally irritated, "Why did you hang up on me?"

"Because I'm not gonna deal with your bullshit. You and your wife have a kid to raise, and I already told you I'm not gonna take your case! So stop calling me!" He slammed the phone down again and started to leave his office, but like clockwork, the phone began to ring once again. Enraged, Kogoro stormed back, picked up the phone and screamed, "WHAT PART OF 'NO' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU STUBBORN-"

"...Dad?" The blood drained from his face as he backpedaled with a frantic, "RAN! That wasn't directed at you, honey! Just...dealing with a caller who won't leave me alone!"

"Is it that Maeda guy?"

"Lucky guess," Kogoro replied. "How'd you know?"

"Because he's standing right next to me." Mouri's eyes widened in shock and anger as he demanded, "Put the bastard on." On the other end of the call, Ran handed the phone to Hiro, who walked alongside her as they headed back to the detective agency. "Hello, Mouri-san. You there?"

Kogoro gritted his teeth and snarled, "Maeda...I swear to God, if you did anything to my daughter..."

"I haven't done a thing to her. All I'm doing is walking her home." Hiro grinned and added, "Maybe if you hadn't hung up on me, I could've asked for your permission to do so."

"Stop with the excuses," Kogoro spat. "What the hell do you want?" Hiro's grin turned into a full-fledged smile as he replied, "I'm glad you asked. Our daughter is staying with her grandparents for a little while, and in case you forgot, here's a little refresher: I've got a feeling that they know who the kidnapper is. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them _was_ the kidnapper."

"You said they're Rui's grandparents on her mother's side, right?"

"Yeah."

"What about your parents? Why can't you ask them?"

"Because they're dead. They were killed in a car accident when I was seventeen, so I can't exactly go to them for advice. Regardless, I have my suspicions, and I want you to look into them, if you can." Kogoro rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration, knowing in the back of his mind that Maeda had a point. He hadn't talked with her grandparents at length, and that was the next logical step. With no other option, he sighed, "How far are you from my office?"

"Just a few blocks away. I can see your awning from where I am."

"I'll be waiting." Kogoro hung up the phone and sat at the edge of his desk, staring daggers at the door. He didn't have to wait very long, as the knob turned and Ran stepped inside, with Hiro Maeda right behind her. As soon as they were indoors, Ran moved as far away from Hiro as she could, and Kogoro charged towards him as he sheepishly tried to explain himself. "I'm sorry about all this; I really am. I just didn't know how-"

His excuse was literally choked out of him as Kogoro slammed him against the wall, holding his right arm against Maeda's throat. Hiro's eyes went wide as Kogoro rifled through his coat with his free hand, and when he reached into the interior pocket, he pulled out a small pistol. A quick check of the cartridge revealed that the gun was loaded, and in a panic, he turned towards Ran and demanded, "Did he use this on you?!"

"No, dad, he didn't!" Ran exclaimed. "All he did was apologize for what happened on Sunday and ask to use my phone! Honest to God, I didn't even know he had that on him!"

"I can't take that chance!" Kogoro unloaded the gun and shoved it back in Maeda's pocket, growling, "You listen to me, you piece of shit! If I _ever_ see you here again, if you try to call me, if I hear that you so much as _looked_ in my daughter's direction, I will fucking _end you!_ Do you understand me?!"

Hiro nodded.

"Good. Now get the fuck out." Hiro opened his mouth to speak, but the dark, malevolent glares on Kogoro and Ran's faces counselled him otherwise. He opened the door and left the agency, slamming it shut behind him. As the noise echoed through the room, the Mouris' faces softened as Kogoro ran to his daughter and gave her a relieved hug, which she returned in kind. "Tell me the truth, Ran," Kogoro said. "Did he use that gun on you?"

She shook her head and replied, "He didn't. Like I said, I didn't even know he was carrying it."

"Don't lie to me. Did he use the gun on you-yes or no?"

"He didn't use it, dad. There's nothing to worry about. I'm fine, you're fine, we're both fine. He's an idiot for even having a gun on him in the first place."

"I can't argue with that." Kogoro retreated to his desk and sat down in his chair, adding, "Maeda may be an idiot, but he has a point." He looked through the recently-dialed numbers on his cell phone and found the number he was looking for right near the top. "I'm gonna talk to Rui's grandparents and see if there's anything else I can find."

"Good idea," Ran said with a smile.

"If they agree to a meeting, odds are I'm gonna have to do it tomorrow." Ran rubbed the back of her neck and replied, "I have karate practice tomorrow. You'll have to take Conan-kun along with you." As if on cue, the door opened and Conan walked in, asking, "Take me where?"

"To meet Rui's grandparents," Kogoro said with obvious annoyance. "Looks like you and I are gonna be stuck with each other." _That's perfect,_ Shinichi thought with a grin. _We need to hear the story from their perspective-maybe then we can get the whole picture._ He took his backpack off his shoulders and went to talk with Ran as Kogoro dialed the number. After two rings, the phone picked up on the opposite end.

"Hello?"

* * *

TUESDAY, 8:05 PM

Eri finished her drink as Kogoro wound up his story. "So tomorrow, Conan and I are heading to Komae after he's done with school to go talk to her grandparents."

"Do you think you'll find anything out?"

"Oh, I'm sure I will. Hiro's parents are dead, and as far as I know, he and Kaori don't have any brothers or sisters. They're the best chance I have to get more information." Kogoro slugged down the remaining water in his glass and said, "I'm just hoping they're not as hot-tempered as those two are." He stood up to pay the bill when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder, and when he turned around, he was face to face with a young couple in their mid-twenties, and the girl was more than attractive-she was gorgeous. She asked, "Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt, but...are you Kogoro Mouri, the famous detective?" Eri narrowed her eyes in irritation, knowing full well what was going to happen as Kogoro replied, "Yeah, that's me. How are you two doing?"

"We're doing great, sir," her boyfriend replied. "We're sorry to interrupt, but...we just wanted to come over and say hi. Is that okay?"

"Of course. It's nice to meet the both of you," he replied as he shook their hands. "How do you know about my work?"

"I'm studying to become a journalist," the girl said. "My current events course has studied a bunch of the cases you solved, and I've gotta say, your detective skills are amazing! You're like a modern-day Holmes!"

Kogoro blushed and replied, "I wouldn't go _that_ far. I'd say I'm more like Scooby-Doo. Hell, nine times out of ten it seems like I stumble into the solution by accident." Upon hearing that, her boyfriend insisted, "Don't sell yourself short, Mouri-san. Your sleeping method is unorthodox, but it works. You're a great detective, and I'm sure you're an even greater person."

Kogoro's eyes widened at the man's declaration, and he felt his stomach turn as he thought, _I'm glad YOU think so. A role model is the absolute last thing that I am._

"Before we go, if it's not too much to ask...can we get a quick photo?"

"Why not?" The man stood on Kogoro's left while his girlfriend stood on his right, and Mouri draped his arms over their shoulders and gave a large, toothy smile as the girl held out a selfie stick and snapped the photo. The trio double-checked their phone and nodded in approval, showing Kogoro the finished product. "We look great," Mouri said with a chuckle. "You guys have a nice night."

"You too. And thanks again." The couple left as Kogoro turned back to Eri, and when he did, her facial expression stopped him cold. She had removed her glasses, allowing an unobstructed view of eyes as wide as saucers. Her jaw hung slightly open as she struggled to find the words to articulate what she had just seen. He responded to her slack-jawed expression with a skeptical, "What?"

"Kogoro," Eri asked in shock. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"Yeah. I took a picture and had a little conversation. Is that so wrong?"

"No. Not at all. In fact, that's the most mature I've seen you act around another woman in a long, long time. You didn't fawn over her once." Kogoro thought it over for a few seconds before realizing just how right she was. "Huh," he exclaimed with a shrug. "I guess I didn't." Eri grabbed her coat while Kogoro did the same, and he asked, "You think I might be turning a corner?"

"Only time will tell, dear," Eri replied. "It's a step in the right direction for sure, but you'll need to take a few more."

"And hopefully this time I won't trip and fall like I always do." He paid for their drinks and turned to leave, but before he could, Eri put her hand on his shoulder. Kogoro turned around to see Eri smiling at him-the first genuine, malice-free smile he'd seen on her face in a long time. "You're better than you think you are. Good luck, Kogoro."

He smiled back and replied, "Thanks. I think I'm gonna need it." With a nod, he left the restaurant and walked to the train station as Eri remained at the bar, watching her husband disappear into the throng of pedestrians outside.

_You didn't disappoint._


	6. An Unhappy Couple

WEDNESDAY, 12:15 PM

Recess.

The Detective Boys stepped out into the warm spring day with the intent to get as much time on the playground as possible. Ayumi and Mitsuhiko headed for the swings as Conan, Haibara and Genta headed for the nearby jungle gym. Neither of the three climbed onto it, instead opting to sit on top of a short wall just across from the tangle of pipes. Haibara and Genta sat on either side of Conan as he glanced around the play area, with Genta asking, "Any sign of her?"

"Not yet," Conan said as he activated his tracking glasses. "But according to my radar, she's definitely here. We'll have to keep our eyes open."

"Or we could just ask her," Haibara said as she pointed to a nearby tree. "She's standing right over there." Genta and Conan looked in the direction she was pointing, and sure enough, there Rui was. Conan's eye twitched as Haibara grinned and said, "Who needs radar when you have me?"

"Very funny." The trio jumped off the wall and headed for the tree next to the swingsets, where Rui Maeda leaned back against the trunk and stared overhead at the sprouting leaves. A content smile was on her face as Conan, Haibara and Genta approached her, and when she glanced downward, she caught sight of them and said, "Oh! Looks like you're missing a couple of your friends, Conan-kun."

"They're on the swings," he replied as he pointed to Mitsuhiko and Ayumi. "How are you doing? Are your parents..."

"I...really don't wanna talk about them right now," Rui said with a defeated sigh. "I'm just so mad at them for being mad all the time! Why can't they behave themselves when they're around each other?"

"That's a hard question to answer," Haibara replied with a sympathetic gaze.

"Yeah," Genta added. "My mom says that when you're in love, it's supposed to bring out the best in you. From what I've heard Conan-kun tell us, it seems like the opposite happened with your mom and dad."

"They've acted like this for as long as I can remember," Rui replied as she lowered her gaze to the ground. "I actually yelled at them yesterday before school and had my grandma and grandpa pick me up. I'm staying at their house out in Komae until my mommy or daddy decide to get me."

"I know," Conan said. "My uncle Kogoro and I are actually coming out there after school to talk to them."

"Really? Why?"

"So far, all we have is your mom and dad's side of the story. When we get your grandparents' side, it's probably gonna fill in a lot of blanks as far as why your parents are trying to buy your affections."

"Are they your only grandma and grandpa?" Genta asked.

"Yeah. They're my mommy's-my daddy's died in a car crash when he was a teenager."

"Oh no," Haibara exclaimed. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It was before I was born, but my daddy says that they would've loved me just as much as he does."

"Hopefully minus the screaming and yelling," Genta cracked. Haibara gave Conan a nudge in his ribs and shot him a knowing look, one that he returned in kind before asking, "Rui, can I show you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Do you promise not to get mad?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." He pulled out his cell phone and opened up his photos, cycling to the cluster from two days ago. "We had a hunch that your mom wasn't going to take you straight home, so...we followed you." Rui was confused as she asked, "Why would you do that?"

"We wanted to make sure that you'd be safe," Haibara replied. "Did she tell you where you were going?"

"No," Rui replied. "All she said was that she had a surprise for me. The next thing I knew, we were at Tokyo Midtown and we went into the notsobig."

"Which brings us to these." Conan showed her the photos he had taken, and as he cycled through them, he noticed Rui's eyes get sadder and her frown get deeper the further he progressed. He eventually stopped and asked, "What's wrong? You look like you're about to cry."

"I didn't wanna try any of those clothes on," Rui said as she wiped her eyes. "I just wanted to go home, but mommy insisted." She cycled back to the photo of her in mid-twirl and said, "She told me to do this. She said that she wanted me to look like I was having a good time, or else I'd be grounded for a week."

Genta shook his head in sorrow and put a hand on Rui's shoulder for comfort, but his kind gesture did little to change her mood as she continued. "The whole time we were there, she was picking out the most expensive clothes and accessories that she could find. My daddy tried doing the same thing when we were at the shoe store-the shoes he wanted to buy me were almost 20,000 yen."

"It sounds like they're trying to one-up each other," Haibara said. "Your dad tries to buy you shoes, so your mom buys you a whole new wardrobe." She shook her head and mumbled, "Real mature."

"Do you remember what they were fighting about yesterday?" Conan asked.

Rui wiped her eyes and replied, "Yeah...it was about the clothes. She bought everything that you took pictures of, and my daddy didn't like that. Then she started yelling at him about the trip to Tokyo Disneyland he took me on..."

"When did you and your dad go there?" Genta asked. "The date could be pretty important."

"We went there last week...Thursday," Rui answered after racking her brain. "Thursday, April 13th."

"Got it," Conan said as he wrote the date down. "Were you excited to go?"

"Of course I was. But my daddy was acting really weird."

"How so?" Haibara asked.

"When he woke me up, he was all sweaty and nervous," Rui explained. "He told me to wash up and get dressed as fast as I could, so I did. When we got on the train, he asked me if I wanted to go to Tokyo Disneyland. I said sure, and we wound up spending the whole day there. When we got home, mommy was waiting for him, and..." Her explanation trailed off as she hung her head, shuddering at the memory. "They sent me to my room and they started yelling at each other."

"Could you hear what they were saying?" Genta asked.

"Not really. When they start yelling, I try to ignore it." Haibara stepped forward and put her hands on her shoulders with a gentle, "Rui, if you ever need anyone to talk to, we're right here. The badge Conan gave you doubles as a two-way microphone, so we can hear you, and you can talk to us if you want. We're gonna do everything we can to help you."

Rui smiled and gave her a hug. "Thank you, Haibara-chan." Before Ai had a chance to return the gesture, a bell cut through the air, signaling recess was over. Everyone began to head back to class as Rui broke the embrace and Conan echoed Haibara's sentiments. "You're not alone, Rui. Not with us. I'll see you later tonight."

Rui nodded and went on her way as the Detective Boys returned to their classroom. _Tokyo Disneyland...Hiro must have taken her there to protect her from something,_ Shinichi thought. _What could it have been?_

* * *

WEDNESDAY, 5:30 PM

Conan sat in the seat next to Kogoro as the train headed towards Komae, with an overhead announcement informing the passengers that they would arrive in ten minutes. The boy was midway through his brand new detective novel as Mouri cycled endlessly through the photos on his phone, the great majority of which were digitized pictures of happier times. A wistful smile appeared on his face as he came across an old photo of him carrying Ran on his shoulders, the little girl and her daddy both laughing without a care in the world. The next photo was a candid picture of him and Eri attempting to cook dinner together...the key word being "attempt." Whatever dish they had tried to make had become blackened and burnt, and judging by the looks on their faces, Eri had been beating herself up about it, but young Kogoro's confident grin suggested, "We'll get it next time!" Conan glanced up from his book and saw Mouri chuckling to himself, and he asked, "What's so funny, uncle?"

"Nothing," Kogoro replied with a grin. "Just thinking about what happened when these pictures were taken." He cycled through some more and continued to smile as he came across memory after memory of Ran's childhood. Her first karate class. Her fifth birthday party, with Eri cutting the cake. A candid shot of Ran asleep in Kogoro's arms. When he came across that particular photo, tears welled in his eyes and he turned away from Conan, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a shuddering breath. The boy looked up from his book with concern and placed his hand on Kogoro's back, and his uncle's head jerked up when he felt the contact. Kogoro turned back around and put his phone back in his pocket, mumbling, "It's just allergies, brat. No need to get concerned."

_Good to see you haven't gone completely soft,_ Shinichi thought as he returned to his book. _I was starting to get worried._ He was only able to get five sentences further before the conductor announced their arrival at Komae Station. Conan and Kogoro joined the throngs of people exiting the train and headed up to the main concourse, stopping for a quick snack. After he paid, Mouri plugged the address he'd been given into his phone, and was relieved to see that it was only a ten-minute walk from the station. "Looks like I lucked out today," he said as Conan munched on some potato chips. "And hopefully I'll have some more after I talk with them."

Their brief pit stop completed, the duo walked out into the setting sun and headed for the location indicated on Kogoro's phone. After ten minutes, they arrived at a stand-alone house with a large flower garden in the front yard, the contents of which were just beginning to bloom. Kogoro rang the doorbell and was soon greeted by an older man in his mid-60s, accompanied by his wife. The man asked, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Are you Satoshi and Emi Ishida?"

"We certainly are," he replied.

"Perfect. I'm Kogoro Mouri, and this is Conan. We talked on the phone yesterday." Emi's eyes lit up in recognition and she exclaimed, "Oh, of course! You wanted to talk to us about Rui, is that right?"

"It certainly is," Kogoro replied with a grin. "Is she still here?"

"Yes," Satoshi responded with a heavy sigh. "And not one phone call from our daughter or from Hiro to see if she's okay." Conan's face contorted in disgust as he exclaimed, "You're kidding!"

"I wish we were. Honest to God, it's like neither one of them gives a damn about her."

"What's the story with your daughter and Hiro?" Kogoro asked. "Have they always acted like this?"

"We should really explain that inside. Please, come in." Satoshi and Emi stepped aside, and when Kogoro and Conan entered, the first thing they saw was Rui doing her homework at the kitchen table. She had a content smile on her face and was completing the work with ease as Emi tapped her on the shoulder. "We have some guests tonight, Rui. Would you like to say hi?"

She nodded and jumped down from her chair, instantly recognizing the pair that stood in the living room. Kogoro smiled as she ran up to them and exclaimed, "Hi, Conan! Hi, mister! Thank you again for saving me!"

"My name's Kogoro," he said as he knelt down to face her. "And it was my pleasure." Rui jumped into his arms and gave him a big hug, a move that startled Mouri as he stood with a shocked expression on his face, not knowing what to do. After getting the sense that it was okay, he returned her embrace and softly mumbled, "Thank you, Ran." The usage of that name caught Conan's attention, and he turned to face Kogoro with concern. Rui broke the embrace and grabbed Conan's hand, saying, "You wanna come see my room?"

"Good idea," Kogoro replied as he stood up. "This conversation's gonna be for adults anyway, so why don't you scram and go play with her for a few minutes?" Conan narrowed his eyes at him and took Rui's hand, following her to her room as Emi headed to the kitchen to brew some tea. Satoshi and Kogoro sat across from each other as the old man shook his head and mumbled, "I was praying it wouldn't come to this...but here we are."

"What do you mean?"

"Who hired you?" Satoshi asked accusingly. "Was it Hiro? Was it our daughter? Which one was it?"

"Neither," Kogoro exclaimed as he raised his hands in defense. "I did this of my own accord. I'm acting independently of both your daughter and son-in-law. No hidden agendas, no bullshit."

Satoshi narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Are you sure?"

"Completely. The only reason I'm doing this is that little girl. To be honest, this whole situation hits way too close to home for me-my wife and I are separated, and we have a teenaged daughter. Her name is Ran." Kogoro pulled up a picture of her on his cell phone and handed it to Ishida. As he looked the picture over, his eyes widened with surprise as he observed, "My word...she looks almost exactly like Rui!"

"That's what I thought, but in reverse," Kogoro said with a smile. "She's the light of my life. She's kind, thoughtful, and most of all, she's an optimist. Ever since Eri and I split up, Ran's tried everything she can think of to get us back together. Needless to say, it hasn't worked."

"Well, are you at least civil with each other when you do meet?" Kogoro rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled, "For the first few years? Not in the least. We've softened over time, but those first two, three years were nothing but screaming and yelling when we were in a room together. And I'm not gonna lie-when I look at Hiro and Kaori, I see Eri and I if we kept letting our anger get the best of us." Satoshi leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful gaze as Kogoro asked, "Have they always been at each other's throats?"

Before Satoshi could answer, the loud whistle of the tea kettle signaled that the drinks were ready. Emi poured three glasses and steeped the leaves, allowing the flavor to take hold as she carried the trio into the living room on a serving tray. "Would you like some tea, Mouri-sama?"

"Of course." Emi handed him a cup, gave the second to her husband and sat down beside him with hers, placing the tray on the end table. Kogoro took a sip and asked, "How long have they been together?"

"Too long," Emi sighed as she sat down. "They never should have married." Kogoro raised his eyebrow and asked, "Do you have something against Hiro? Is he abusive or...?"

"No, no, he's not abusive at all," Satoshi replied. "The problem is their personalities are completely different. Ever since she was a little girl, Kaori has been very stubborn and very focused. When she sets her sights on something, she does everything possible to make sure that she gets it. She's always kept to a tight schedule, and if something goes wrong, her day is ruined."

"So you're saying she's a control freak," Kogoro mused. Satoshi frowned and replied, "Not in those exact terms, but yes."

"Hiro, on the other hand, is spontaneous," Emi said before taking a sip of her tea. "He's always been content to let the chips fall where they may-he never plans anything out most of the time. He just _does_ things. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but that's Hiro for you."

"I can see why those two wouldn't work together," Kogoro said. "If that's the case, why did they get married?" Unbeknownst to him, Rui and Conan were listening in on their conversation from the hallway, the two of them tucked safely behind the wall. The grim determination on Conan's face was balanced out by the curious tilt on Rui's as Satoshi began to answer the question.

"Because Hiro got her pregnant on the first night they met. They ran into each other at a bar, one drink led to several, and by the time the bar closed, they could barely stand. The apartment she was living in at the time was right around the corner, and they headed back. Kaori said that when they laid down on her bed, Hiro kissed her on the hand. Then she kissed him on his arm, he kissed her on the shoulder, and...well...you know."

"Obviously," Kogoro cracked.

"A couple of months later, she discovered she was pregnant," Emi said. "She tracked him down at the TV station he works at and-"

"Hold up," Kogoro said as he held up his hand. "What station does he work at?"

"He's a makeup artist at Tokyo FNN," Satoshi replied. "After his parents died, he used the money from their life insurance payout to attend college. He graduated after four years and got the job at FNN almost immediately; he's been working there ever since."

Emi side-eyed her husband and continued. "Anyway, she told him about the baby, and he was shocked. They both agreed that it was best if they stick together, so a few weeks later, they got married at the courthouse here in town and moved in with us shortly after." Satoshi hung his head and mumbled, "And that's when all the trouble started."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Arguing. Constant, nonstop arguing. I can't tell you how many times we had to call the police on them." Emi added, "They never got physical, thank God, but the yelling...that was all they did from dawn to dusk. No compromising, no seeing the other side of things. It was always 'my way or the highway.' We thought it would stop or, at the very least, calm down after Rui was born."

Kogoro took another sip of his tea and asked, "But it got worse, didn't it?" Satoshi's eyes were brimming with tears as he nodded his head and asked, "Emi...you wanna bring it out?" His wife's face was a mixture of concern and understanding as she got up and opened the door to their coat closet. She lifted an old bedsheet from the top shelf and produced a manila folder that was overflowing with documents, laying it out on the table in front of Kogoro. As he thumbed through its contents, he could feel the anger building within him.

Accusations of assault. Countless reports of trespassing. Restraining orders. Citations for disturbing the peace that seemed to go on forever, and three accusations of spousal battery, all filed by Kaori within the last two years. Kogoro shook his head and spat, "Not one word about Rui in _any_ of these. They don't give a shit about her...they're just trying to hurt each other."

"Exactly," Satoshi sighed in resignation. "They split up two years after Rui was born, and that's when all this started. When you have a child, you have to realize that it's not all about you anymore...but they didn't get the hint." Tears fell from his eyes as he choked out, "As much as I hate to say it...Rui made their lives worse." Kogoro recoiled in shock at his statement, and behind the wall, Rui and Conan gasped in horror. The collective noise startled the trio in the living room to attention as Conan and Rui crept from their hiding place, with Rui one step away from bursting into tears. Kogoro looked at them and asked, "How much of that did you hear?"

"All of it," Conan replied. Rui stepped forward and asked, through sniffles and choked sobs, "Grandma...grandpa...what does that mean? Am I...am I a mistake?"

Emi dropped her teacup on the floor, shattering it to pieces as she burst off the couch and swooped Rui into a huge, regretful hug. "No, no, no, no, dear. You're anything _but_ a mistake. You mean the world to us."

"That's right," Satoshi assured her as he joined in the hug. "We'd do anything for you, Rui...even take you in as our own."

"Wait...what?" Rui asked. "What do you mean?"

"As far as we're concerned, your mommy and daddy don't deserve to take care of you. They don't care about each other, and they certainly don't care about you the way your grandma and I do. We've been trying to gain full custody of you for the last four years."

Conan and Kogoro's eyes widened at the revelation as Emi said, "Don't ever think you're a mistake, dear. You're a treasure." Rui smiled in relief and hugged her tighter, and Satoshi leaned into the gesture, wrapping his arms around them. When he did, his shirt lifted up, exposing a large bruise on his right side. Conan tilted his head and exclaimed, "Ah le le? What happened to you, Ishida-sama? Did you fall?"

"Unfortunately," he replied as he pulled his shirt down. "I tripped over the sidewalk a few days ago and landed pretty hard. It's just a bruise-nothing I can't handle." Kogoro raised his eyebrow in suspicion as Satoshi returned to doting on his granddaughter, thinking to himself, _Could he be the one who tried kidnapping her? It would've taken them a while to get to the shoe store from here...but they got there awfully fast. Were they just in the neighborhood that day or...?_

His train of thought crashed to a halt as the doorbell rang. Then it rang again. Then repeated rings accompanied by loud, continuous pounding on the door. The Ishidas put Rui down and announced, "We're coming! Hold your horses!" Kogoro and Conan instinctively moved to guard Rui as Emi opened the door to find herself face to face with Kaori Maeda, and she made her presence known by pushing her mother aside and entering the house without so much as a hello. "What do you think you're doing, Kaori?"

"What's it look like I'm doing, mom? I'm here to pick up my daughter."

"That's not gonna happen," Satoshi retorted. "She called her dad before Mouri-sama arrived, and he's coming to pick her up in an hour." Kaori narrowed her eyes and spat, "The hell he is! There's no way I'm letting that asshole win again!"

Rui crouched down and covered her ears as Kogoro stood up from his seat and exclaimed, "So this is all just a game to you? Playing havoc with Rui's life just to stick it to your husband?"

"You stay out of this," Kaori said as she pointed her finger in his face. "You don't know me, so you have _no right_ to say anything about me!" She turned to Rui and ordered, "Get up and get packed, honey. We're leaving."

"But...but daddy's coming to get me!"

"I don't care!" She grabbed Rui by the arm and started dragging her to her bedroom, saying, "You're _my_ daughter, and you belong with _me!"_

"But daddy-"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK BACK TO ME, YOUNG LADY! You are coming home with me, and that is final! Now let's go!" She squeezed tighter and pulled on Rui's arm, but the little girl dug her heels in, refusing to budge. "No."

Kaori's eyes were blazing as she asked, _"What did you say?"_

"She said 'no,'" Satoshi said as he stood in front of her. "She's going home with her dad tonight, and _that_ is final. Now get out of my house before I call the police."

"You wouldn't dare."

Satoshi picked up his cell phone and replied, "Watch me." Kaori narrowed her eyes at him and gripped Rui's arm even tighter, causing her to yelp in pain. "Mommy, stop it! Let me go!"

"Stop resisting and do what I say!" She pulled on her arm, which turned Rui's yelp into a scream as she pleaded, _"STOP IT!"_

"Stop...being...so...damn...difficult!"

_"MOMMY, YOU'RE HURTING ME!"_

That was all Kogoro could take. He bolted towards them and grabbed Kaori's hand, wrenching it from Rui's arm. Her startled expression quickly turned to anger as she used her free hand to slap Kogoro across the face. His only response was to glare back at her with hate-filled eyes and snarl, "That's assault, trespassing, and child abuse. If you're not out of this house in the next thirty seconds, your life is _over._ You understand me, you fucking bitch?"

Kaori opened her mouth to protest, but she was cut off by Emi's deadly cold, "Not. One. Word. _Get out of our house. NOW."_ Kaori glared at the sea of angry faces surrounding her and grunted in defeat, storming out of the house and slamming the door with such force that a few small figurines on the surrounding walls fell off of their shelves. Kogoro headed to the freezer to grab some ice as Rui groaned in pain, rubbing her arm as Satoshi and Emi tended to her. Conan was rooted to the spot, shocked at what had just taken place. His mind wandered across the ocean to his parents out in California, and he said a silent thank you that they were nothing like the Maedas. Bag of ice in hand, Kogoro knelt down and handed it to Emi, who pressed it to Rui's arm. Satoshi rocked her back and forth as they tried to calm her down, shooting Conan and Kogoro a quick glance that said, "I think it's time for you to go." They got the hint, thanked them for their hospitality, and headed back to the train station. As they waited for their ride, Kogoro pulled out his cell phone and called Ran. She answered after three rings and said, "Hi, dad! What's going on?"

Kogoro's eyes glistened as he replied, "I love you, Ran. I love you..." Tears flowed down his cheeks as he bowed his head and choked out the last words: "...so much."

Concern filled Ran's voice as she asked, "Dad...what happened? Are you and Conan-kun okay?"

"We're fine. I...can't wait to see you when we get home. This was...this was bad."

"I'll be waiting." Kogoro wiped his eyes, only to have fresh tears begin to fall when Ran said, "I love you too, dad. Always."

"We'll...be home soon." He hung up the phone and buried his head in his hands, shaking with sobs. This time, when Conan put his hand on his back, he did nothing to stop the gesture. All he could do was sit there and weep.

_I'm sorry, Ran. I'm so sorry._

* * *

WEDNESDAY, 8:40 PM

Hiro carried Rui's suitcase into his apartment and turned on the light, illuminating a living room decorated with movie posters and paintings he had made throughout the years. He sat Rui down on the couch, where a portrait of his late parents kept watch from above. Hiro knelt down in front of her and asked, "Are you okay, baby? Let me see your arm." Rui rolled up her sleeve, showing her father large red welts where her mom had grabbed her. It was all he could do to keep from screaming as he hugged her and said, "I'm right here, sweetheart. Daddy's right here. I swear on my parents' graves that I will never let your mother hurt you again."

"I was so scared, daddy," Rui replied through her tears. "Why did she do that to me?"

"Because she's a bad person," Hiro said as he let her go. "And only bad people would do something like that to their kids."

Rui dragged her arm across her eyes and asked, "But what about you? All your yelling and fighting...does that make _you_ a bad person?"

Hiro tried in vain to answer her question, but the words died on his lips. All he could do was hang his head and gently stroke Rui's hair, which helped to calm her down. Once she was breathing normally, he asked, "You want some orange juice?"

Rui nodded her head.

"Perfect. Wait right here." Hiro headed to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of juice from the fridge along with a child-size drinking glass. As he poured the drink, he made sure Rui wasn't looking before he made his move. Inside a nearby cabinet was a small vial of oral melatonin that provided a 3 mg dose per drop. Hiro cupped it in his hand as he took out the dropper and squeezed one tiny dose into the drink, stirring it in to hide his deceit. He capped off the medicine and put it back before he brought the glass to his daughter. "Sorry it took so long, sweetheart-I just...zoned out for a second. Here you go."

"Thanks, daddy." Rui gulped the juice down in three big sips and placed the empty glass on the table. "Wow, you must've been thirsty," Hiro cracked.

Rui smiled as she hopped off the couch and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. After she was done, she put her pajamas on and climbed into bed. Hiro pulled the covers over her and kissed her on the forehead, saying, "If you have any nightmares, you know where I'll be. I love you, kiddo."

"I love you too, daddy." Hiro turned out the light and closed the door, then went to his bedroom. Instead of getting ready for bed himself, he opened his closet and pulled out a small makeup kit. The contents were exactly what he needed as he crept into the living room and draped plastic over his recliner. He knew he'd have to be careful not to spill anything-to leave any evidence behind would be the end of him. It took him twenty minutes to get everything together, and when the chair was ready, he opened the door to Rui's room and checked on her.

She was sound asleep.

Hiro nodded and gently removed the covers from her body, then scooped her up and carried her to the makeup chair. He made sure to avoid any sharp movements as he sat her down, and once he did, he waited a few seconds to see if she would stir.

She didn't.

Hiro unbuttoned her pajama top and gently slid her arms out of the sleeves, removing the garment entirely and draping it over the end of his couch. Rui's upper body was his canvas as he opened the makeup kit and dabbed a moistened sponge in dark red pigment.

_You wanna try and ruin my life, Kaori? Well, let's see how you like it._

Hiro put the sponge to Rui's arm and began to apply the makeup.


	7. Kogoro's Worst Nightmare

THURSDAY, 3:20 AM

The human mind can be a terrifying thing. Kogoro knew this all too well, having seen some of the absolute dregs of humanity in the years he'd spent both on the police force and as a private detective. He'd always said that he never understood what would drive someone to murder, but the unnamed feeling that drove Hiro and Kaori Maeda to go to war with each other? Kogoro knew that feeling like the back of his hand. And tonight, he was about to relive it against his will.

He was sitting in the front row of a giant, empty movie theater, box of popcorn in hand. Large handfuls of the buttered snack found their way into his mouth as he waited for the lights to dim, and when they did, he leaned forward in anticipation of the coming attractions. To his surprise, however, there were none to speak of as the movie began right away. As the opening credits began to roll, the title of the film let him know that he was going to be in for a rough sit:

**A BROKEN HOME**

Kogoro cringed at the title, but the cringing quickly turned to horror when the list of actors began to appear.

**STARRING**  
**Kogoro Mouri as Hiro Maeda**  
**Eri Kisaki as Kaori Maeda**  
**AND INTRODUCING**  
**Ran Mouri as Rui Maeda**

The tub of popcorn landed on the floor, scattering kernels everywhere as Kogoro tried to leave his seat, only for a pair of straps to hook across his chest and pin him down. He could do nothing but watch as the movie got underway, and in an odd bit of pacing, it started right in the middle of a scene. And not just any scene.

"Ran, cover your ears." Movie Ran did so as movie Kogoro began to scream, "That fucking bitch! THAT FUCKING BITCH!"

Kogoro's eyes bulged in terror and recognition as he screamed, "NO! _NO!_ STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!" The movie did no such thing, playing onwards and cutting to Eri's office. The only difference is that Eri was sitting on the opposite side of her desk...and there was no lawyer on the other end. All of a sudden, Kogoro burst into the room and confronted her, screaming, "WHO IS IT?! WHO THE HELL DID YOU PUT UP TO IT?!"

Out in the theater, Kogoro put his hands over his ears and lowered his head, screaming, "TURN IT OFF! STOP IT! TURN THE GODDAMN MOVIE OFF!" The movie paid no mind to his protests and continued to play, with Eri declaring, "As far as I'm concerned, you were nothing but a sperm donor!" Movie Kogoro screamed in rage and charged at her, and when he did, the real Kogoro recognized a major difference. When he'd arrived at Eri's office that day, she and Ran had restrained the Maedas from attacking each other. On the screen before him, however, there were no such roadblocks. No Ran, no Conan. Nobody in the office except for him and Eri. He shut his eyes and turned away as the sound of punches, kicks and screaming snuck into his ears despite the best efforts of his hands to block them out. The neverending sountrack of pain caused Kogoro to hyperventilate as agonized tears flowed down his cheeks.

Another cut led to a scene taking place at a kitchen table, with little Ran hiding beneath it-her clothes were dirty, her hair was a mess, and she was openly bawling. Kogoro reached out to try and hug her, but another dizzying cacophony of noise began to blare through the speakers. He covered his ears and shut his eyes once more in an attempt to drown it out, but as he listened to it, he realized it wasn't noise. It was the sound of him and Eri arguing. The loud, vitriolic fights they'd had. The namecalling.

"Immature drunken bastard!"

"Ice queen!"

"Asshole!"

"Bitch!"

"Skirt-chasing prick!"

"Self-centered cow!"

When he opened his eyes, he was once again staring at himself and Eri, deep in an argument that showed no signs of ending. Movie Kogoro's eyes were bulging as he screamed at Eri, who returned the emotions in kind. Instead of their normal dress clothes, they were wearing the exact same clothes as Hiro and Kaori, and after further remembrance, he recognized the kitchen from the Ishidas' house. And there was little Ran, crying underneath the kitchen table. Kogoro felt as if his heart was being ripped from his chest as he began to scream, "SHE'S RIGHT THERE, YOU ASSHOLES! STOP IT NOW!"

But they didn't stop. Instead, Eri reached underneath the table and grabbed Ran by the scruff of her neck, dragging her out as if she was nothing more than a cheap piece of luggage. As she did this, movie Kogoro exclaimed, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm taking my daughter home!"

"She's _our_ daughter, you fucking bitch!"

"Not anymore." She tossed a piece of paper at him and carried the screaming little girl out of the apartment, leaving movie Kogoro to read it. When he finished, he screamed in rage and began to tear the kitchen apart-smashing dishes, breaking glasses, and at one point even ripping an entire cabinet off of the wall. Its contents crashed to the floor in a deafening symphony of destruction as the camera panned over to the piece of paper, now laying on the floor.

It was a restraining order.

Out in the theater, Kogoro strained against the bonds holding him to the chair, eyes wild with fear and grief. He screamed and thrashed as hard as he could to get free, but the straps merely tightened and pinned him further as the final scene began to play. Its setting was the living room of the Ishidas' house, and there was nobody on screen except for Eri and Ran. The little girl was once again in tears, the sight of which tore Kogoro to pieces as Eri rolled out three giant suitcases, a child's backpack and a small handbag. "Stop crying," she absentmindedly ordered, not even looking in Ran's direction. "This is what's best for you. For _us."_

"But mommy, I don't wanna leave Japan! I wanna see daddy!" Eri scoffed and cruelly replied, "Now why on Earth would you want to see that good-for-nothing drunken jackass?"

"Because he's my daddy! You can't take me away from him!"

A loud, painful smack rang through the theater and caused Kogoro to vomit as Ran fell to the floor. Her mother stood over her and screamed, "DON'T YOU _EVER_ TELL ME WHAT TO DO, YOU LITTLE BRAT! WE ARE LEAVING, AND THAT'S _FINAL!_ NOW GRAB YOUR THINGS AND LET'S GO!"

Out in the theater, Kogoro let out a feeble, desperate plea of "St...stop it." On the screen, Ran continued to lay on the ground as her mother berated her. "Stop faking it and get up! Our plane leaves in an hour!"

"Stop it!"

"I wanna see daddy." Eri's eyes radiated white-hot rage as she gritted her teeth and grabbed Ran by the arm, jerking it straight up and forcing the little girl to her feet. Kogoro was hysterical, screaming the same mantra over and over again. "STOP IT! STOP IT! _STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"_

_"MOMMY, YOU'RE HURTING ME!"_

"GOOD! MAYBE THIS WILL TEACH YOU NOT TO DISOBEY ME!" She gave one final jerk of her arm, and the disgusting sound of a child's shoulder dislocating filled the theater.

_**"STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"**_

* * *

Kogoro's eyes shot open with a terrified scream as he came to, his eyes seeing nothing but a blanket of white. He soon realized that he was face down in his pillow, and as he raised his head, he looked around the spartan confines of his bedroom and noticed everything was still in order. His shirt and forehead were drenched in sweat and his entire body trembled with fear as he slowly rose to his feet and stumbled to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and looked around, hoping to find something alcoholic to calm his nerves. There was nothing of the sort within, but he remembered his mini fridge in the office. He put his house slippers on and walked downstairs, unlocking the door and heading straight for his desk. Kogoro sat down, opened the fridge and grabbed a can of Union. As he cracked it open and prepared to slug it down, the images and sounds of that terrible nightmare began replaying in his head. His hand began to shake as he attempted to bring the drink to his lips, but an unseen force stopped him. It was as if Kogoro's body was at war with itself-he wanted that drink. He _needed_ that drink. But every muscle he had was saying no.

And that was when he heard the crying. He turned his head to the right and was shocked to see little Ran standing in front of him. She looked the same as she always did, but with one major difference-her left arm hung limp at her side, with an ugly bulge sitting at the spot of the empty socket. Kogoro's mouth hung open in terror as little Ran begged, "Please...put me back together, daddy. It hurts so much..."

"I...I..."

"Don't let mommy take me away. I want you to see me grow up...and miss most of my childhood because of your drinking." Kogoro glanced at the can of beer as little Ran's voice got sterner and her body began to grow and mature with every step she took towards him. "I want to see you embarrass me in front of my friends and family! I want to see you ruin every chance of getting back together with mom! I want to see you waste all of our money on booze and women and gambling!" Kogoro stammered in shock as the apparition moved closer to him, and when the light hit its face, it had grown and matured into the present day, teenaged visage of Ran Mouri. A hate-filled grimace was on its face as it yelled, "Stop lying to yourself, dad! You're _never_ gonna get mom back! You're _never_ gonna stop drinking!"

"Bullshit," Kogoro countered in defiance. "I can stop any time I want."

"Then why haven't you? Conan-kun and I depend on you to provide a steady income...but what good is that income when it all goes down the drain as soon as you cash your checks? Do you have any idea how hard it is for a teenage girl to look after _two_ children?!"

Kogoro glared at the apparition with malice in his eyes and growled, "I am _not_ a child, young lady! I am your _father!_ You have _no right_ to talk about me that way!"

The apparition scoffed and replied, "I can talk about a _child_ any way I damn well please! And speaking of children, what's with this latest holy crusade you're on? Do you really think saving this little girl is gonna change anything?"

"It might."

_"Please._ All that's gonna change is her living arrangements. Her mom and dad are still gonna fight. Her grandparents are still gonna be the peacemakers. And poor little Rui is still gonna be caught in the middle."

"No." Kogoro rose from his chair and stared the apparition down. _"No._ She's gonna grow up safe, and loved, and cared for, by people who actually _do_ care for her."

"Oh. Like _I_ did?"

Kogoro jabbed his finger in the apparition's face and yelled, "YOU SHUT YOUR GODDAMNED MOUTH! I have done everything humanly possible to make sure you grow up right!"

"And look where that got us," it countered. "Ten years of separation, a detective business that was failing miserably until Shinichi Kudo disappeared, countless nights of drunkenness, lost wages, and a man who loses his mind every time a beautiful woman walks into the room. You and the Maedas...you're more alike than you realize."

Kogoro gritted his teeth and demanded, _"Shut up."_

"The fighting. The arguing. The forgotten daughter. Why, it's almost like you two are mirror images of each other!"

"SHUT UP!"

"And not only do I want to see you crash and burn, I want to be there so I can laugh as it happens! I WANT TO SEE YOU DESTROY OUR FAMILY!"

_"SHUT UP!"_ Kogoro hurled the can of beer across the room, where it exploded against the wall and showered the room with tiny drops of amber. "THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" He grabbed the last three beers from the fridge and marched outside, cracking them open and hurling them down the stairs to the sidewalk below. All the while, he screamed, "I WILL _NEVER_ DESTROY MY FAMILY, DO YOU HEAR ME?! I AM NOTHING LIKE THOSE TWO! _NOTHING!_ YOU THINK I CAN'T CHANGE?! YOU THINK I CAN'T RECOGNIZE MY FAULTS?! WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF _THAT?! _MY LAST NAME IS NOT MAEDA...IT'S _MOURI!"_ When he turned around, however, the apparition had vanished and his real-life, in the flesh daughter stood in front of him. "Dad...what the heck are you doing?"

Kogoro's anger disappeared as quickly as it came, his eyes softening and his grimace turning to a relieved smile. Not knowing what else to do, he let out a boisterous laugh and rubbed the back of his head, replying, "Nothing. Just working out some issues, that's all."

"That didn't seem like nothing," Ran replied as she took his hand. "I heard you screaming from my bedroom. Were you having a nightmare?"

"Not really a nightmare. More like a...spirited debate." Ran wrapped her free arm around him and gave him a hug, assuring him, "Dad, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here for you. We all are."

"Thanks, honey. Sorry to wake you up like that."

"It's okay. Come on-let's get back inside before we freeze to death." Kogoro nodded and followed Ran's lead, returning to their small apartment and closing the door. "Well, good night, dad. See you in the morning."

"Sure thing." He smiled and watched as Ran headed back to the room she shared with Conan, quietly shutting the door to avoid waking him. When the latch engaged, the bravado vanished from Kogoro's face and he buried his head in his hands. Not knowing what else to do, he walked to the TV stand and grabbed his cell phone. He cycled through his contacts and dialed the number, hoping that she would pick up, but the call went straight to voicemail. "You have reached Eri Kisaki. Please leave a message."

At the sound of the beep, Kogoro began to speak.

* * *

THURSDAY, 10 AM

"Kisaki-sama?"

"Yes, Kumi?"

"Your husband is here."

"Send him in." The brief pause gave Eri time to grab two bottles of water from the fridge, and she began to pour them into a pair of glasses as Kogoro walked into her office. When she heard the door close, she asked, "So...what did you find out? Is there anything we can do to..."

Eri's question trailed off as Kogoro sat down in front of her. The bags under his eyes enhanced a pair that radiated a combination of weary, sad and disturbed, and his slumped shoulders pointed towards a man who was nearing the end of his tether. "My God, Kogoro, what happened?" Eri asked with concern. "You look terrible."

"Where the hell do I even start?" he replied with an exhausted sigh. "It turns out that the Maedas have been at each other's throats for damn near the entirety of Rui's life."

"That doesn't surprise me at all," Eri replied as she took a quick drink. "I saw that every time I had to deal with them. Honestly, I'm amazed they haven't tried to kill each other."

"Tell me about it. Apparently it was a one-night stand that turned into a full-time investment-they met at a bar, had some drunken sex and a baby happened. Emi said that they never should have married."

"Opposite personalities?"

"Completely. Hiro's a guy who's up for whatever, but Kaori's a control freak."

"Shocking," Eri cracked as she let out a grim chuckle.

"And the sad part is, I got to witness that firsthand." Kogoro hung his head and took a deep, shuddering breath. "That's part of the reason I wanted to talk to you. Some things happened last night that...really bothered me." Eri adjusted her glasses and asked, "Really? Like what?"

"Like Kaori showing up unannounced and trying to take Rui home with her by force. They got into an argument and she grabs her arm and starts pulling. And she was holding on tight." Eri's eyes were a mixture of sadness and contempt as Kogoro said, "I can still hear that little girl screaming. She was so scared, and she was saying, 'Mommy, you're hurting me!' It was all I could do not to beat Maeda senseless when I heard that."

"Well, you have more self-control than me," Eri spat in disgust. "If I were there, I'd have thrown the bitch through a window."

"Imagine," Kogoro cracked, "me having self control." Eri gave a knowing smirk and asked, "So what else happened? What's the second part of your story?" Kogoro closed his eyes and grimaced in pain at the memory of that night's feature presentation, but he knew he had to tell her everything. So he did.

"I had a nightmare last night, Eri. It was one of the most vivid dreams I've had in years-I was sitting in the front row of a movie theater, and I was ready for an action movie, a comedy, _something."_

Eri arched her eyebrow and asked, "But that's not what you got, is it?"

"Not in the least," Kogoro responded as he shook his head. "I got a movie called _A Broken Home."_ The title made Eri wince as her husband's eyes filled with tears. "And then I see the credits start to roll and...it was you, me and Ran...starring as the Maedas." Kogoro was now openly crying as he struggled to find the words: "It was so fucking horrible...the first thing I saw is what...what happened on Sunday, only it was just...you and me in here, and...I...I beat the shit out of you, Eri. I tried so hard not to look, but...in the second part, you took Ran away from me...and slapped me with a restraining order. And Ran was just screaming, and wailing, and..." By that point, Eri had tears falling down her face and had grabbed Kogoro's hand, trying in vain to comfort him. "The last part...you were leaving Japan with her. You were screaming at her and pulling on her arm, and the last thing I saw...and heard...was the sound of a shoulder dislocating..." Kogoro put his head down on the table and began sobbing like a baby, while Eri removed her glasses and wiped away her tears with her free hand. "Do you...do you think we're the same as the Maedas? All the fighting and arguing and..."

Eri tried to answer, but for the first time in her life, the Queen of Lawyers found herself at a complete loss. As she flashed back to the ugly memories of the fights she and Kogoro had had over the years, especially those first few after they separated, she realized that her husband had a point. The only response she could muster was a defeated, "We were."

"But are we still?" Kogoro raised his head and sat up, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat. "I mean...between the two of us, Ran was always able to come and go as she pleased. I don't remember ever trying to buy her love or trying to retaliate against you." As he said those words, he noticed Eri begin to look away and lower her head. "What's that about?"

Eri said nothing.

"Come on. You're hiding something-it's written all over your face."

"I...I don't want to talk about it."

"We're talking now. Whatever it is, I promise I won't get angry. Now, come on. Tell me." At his insistence, Eri opened the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a white envelope that had yellowed over time. Kogoro arched his eyebrow in curiosity as he took it from Eri, unfolded the seal and pulled out a court order dated from nine years ago. His eyes widened in shock as he read through the document, with words like _drunken, inherent danger, verbally abusive_ and _unfit parent_ jumping out at him. The document fell out of his shaking hands and landed on the floor as he stammered, "Wh...what the hell is that?"

"A restraining order against you that I never filed," Eri replied in shame. "Take a look at the date one more time." Kogoro picked it up off the floor and did just that. "December 15, 1999? That was a few days after..."

"Ran's first grade Christmas recital. Do you remember?" Kogoro racked his brain, trying to find the memory. It was a futile effort, however, as he shrugged his shoulders and replied, "No, I don't."

"That's because you were drunk," Eri replied with distaste. "Easily the drunkest I'd ever seen you."

"Of course I was," Kogoro grumbled. "What the hell did I do to make you say all this about me?" The blood drained from his face as he begged, "Please tell me I didn't ruin the recital." Eri's only response was to glare at him with knowing eyes, and Kogoro realized that had indeed been the case. "Shit...what happened?"

"Well, for starters, you smelled like a distillery when you arrived. That was bad enough, but when Ran's class took the stage, you started whooping and hollering and making an ass of yourself in front of an entire auditorium full of people. I spent so much time trying to get you back in your seat that I missed her entire performance!"

"Jesus..." Kogoro shook his head in embarrassment as Eri continued her explanation. "After it was over, Ran's teacher came over to talk to us, and I couldn't get two words in."

"Do I even want to know why?"

"Because you started flirting with her," Eri growled. "And Ran was right there to witness it all. I started yelling at you, you started yelling back, and this time we _both_ had the attention of everyone in the building. We all got kicked out of the auditorium, and then...you threw up all over me _and_ your daughter."

Kogoro's heart dropped to the floor and he hung his head in shame. "I took Ran home with me that night and drafted this the next day. I had every intention of filing it before Christmas because I wanted you to face the consequences of what you'd done."

"But you never did," Kogoro countered. "Why? If anything, it sounds like I deserved it."

"You deserved _something,_ but you didn't deserve _that._ I had a chance to read through it after I calmed down a bit, and...to be perfectly honest, what I read scared the shit out of me. I had turned into the vengeful ex, and that was something I swore I'd never do. You have your faults, Kogoro, but you're not a bad person. You're just...a handful."

"Gee, thanks," he grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

"And if I had filed this, if I had kept you from seeing either me or Ran, what would that have accomplished? I guarantee she would've found out about it, either from you or from someone else."

"Yeah," Kogoro agreed. "She's always been perceptive-there's no way she wouldn't have found out."

"I couldn't do that to you. To _us._ So I kept it here in my desk. I guess you could say that...I turned into Kaori Maeda when I drafted this." Eri hung her head and sighed, "I guess we're not so different from them after all."

"Yes, we are." Kogoro took Eri's hands in his and declared, "We love our daughter. We know how to act like adults when we get together...most of the time. And I'd like to think that we could patch up our differences someday and be a family again."

"Only if you start improving your behavior," Eri countered.

"And I'm trying. I haven't had a drink in the last four days."

"That's good." She leaned in close and added, "But you're still not there yet."

"Damn," Kogoro cursed. "It was worth a shot." With their meeting ending on good terms, Kogoro got up and was just about to leave when his cell phone began to ring. The caller ID signaled that Inspector Megure was on the line, and he put him on speaker. "Mouri? You there?"

"I'm here, Megure. What case do you need my help with?"

"I don't need anything like that," he replied in his gruff voice. "I need you to come down to the station and get your side of the story."

"What side?" Kogoro asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Kaori Maeda was brought in on charges of child abuse, and she named you as a witness."


	8. An Unpleasant Truth

THURSDAY, 12:34 PM

The doors of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police headquarters slid open, allowing Kogoro entrance to the facility. He took long, quick strides and made a beeline for Megure's office before he was stopped in the lobby by Wataru Takagi. His normal upbeat, cheerful personality had been replaced with stress and irritation as he exclaimed, "Mouri-san! Thank God you're here!"

"What happened, Takagi? It looks like you've been through a war."

"You could say that," he replied as the duo made their way to the heart of the facility. "We got a phone call about seven in the morning from Hiro Maeda accusing his wife of abusing their daughter. He came in and told us his side of the story, and it seemed to be pretty cut and dry-Rui told him that her mom grabbed her arm and left some welts...but those welts turned into these." Takagi pulled out his cell phone and showed Kogoro a photo he had taken of Rui's arm, and the sight of it made his stomach turn. What was once the perfectly normal arm of a young girl was now an angry mixture of purple and red bruises running from her wrist to three inches below her elbow. It was all Kogoro could do not to vomit as he asked, "Was there any...other bruising, or was this it?"

The grim, devastated expression on Takagi's face let him know that more was coming, and they stopped in the hallway so that he could get a closer look. Upon seeing the photos, he wished that he hadn't-Rui's chest was dotted with bruises, with a particularly large one on her stomach. "I think that one could be about four, five inches across," Takagi said in disgust. Kogoro covered his face with his hands and let out a shuddering, disturbed sigh, and when his eyes were exposed, the sheer malice within them made Takagi shrink back. "I want to talk with Hiro first," Kogoro spat. "If I see that fucking bitch in the state I'm in..." He punched the wall and growled, "It's times like these I'm glad I don't carry a gun."

"You and me both, Mouri-san. They're just around the corner." Takagi led Kogoro, who was now wincing in pain and shaking his hand, to the interrogation rooms just down the hall. Megure was standing between the two doors, and when he caught sight of the duo, he stepped away from the wall and said, "Glad you could make it, Mouri. I didn't interrupt your drinking, did I?"

"No, you didn't," Kogoro replied in annoyance. "I haven't had any alcohol in the last four days, smartass."

"Really?" Megure asked in surprise. "I think that's a new record for you!" Takagi couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as a vein popped in Kogoro's forehead and he exclaimed, "Yeah yeah yeah, enough with the jokes. You said that Kaori named me as a witness?"

"She did," Megure replied. "She's been ranting and raving in there for the last hour about her husband and how she'd never do anything like that to her daughter. Considering the amount of times we've had to deal with the Maedas over the last few years, however, I'm not exactly inclined to believe her."

"I can't talk to her right now, inspector-dono," Kogoro spat. "Takagi showed me the photos of Rui, and if you put me in that room with her, you're gonna have _two_ girls with bodies full of bruises." Megure's eyes widened in shock at Kogoro's statement as he mumbled, "Jesus, Mouri..."

"Where's Rui?"

"Sato-san is keeping her company in her office," Takagi replied. "She was still asleep when her dad brought her in."

"Perfect. Hopefully by the time I'm done with Hiro, I'll be able to deal with Kaori without wanting to put her head through the wall. Where is he?"

"In there," Megure answered as he thrust his left thumb over his shoulder. "We've already gotten his side of the story, but if you wanna subject yourself to it, go right ahead."

"I've gotta do something." Kogoro opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Hiro Maeda sitting on the opposite side of a metal table. His arms were crossed over his chest and the smug grin on his face only got more obnoxious as he saw who stepped into the room. He had the air of a man who was soaking in a well-deserved victory, and that feeling was not lost on Kogoro as he shut the door behind him. The irritation in his eyes grew more pronounced as he demanded, "What the hell are you so happy about?"

"I'm gonna get full custody," Hiro beamed. "After this goes to trial and they see what that bitch did, they'd have to be stupid not to! I'm finally gonna get what I deserve!"

Kogoro slammed his fists into the desk and screamed, _"SHUT UP!_ How in the hell can you have a goddamned _smile_ on your face when your daughter is fucking _traumatized for life?!"_

"She'll get over it," Maeda replied with zero concern.

"How?! With _your _help?!" Hiro's gaze darkened as he snarled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well what I mean," Kogoro replied with an acid glare. "What's more important to you: your daughter's well-being, or this obsession with getting back at your wife?"

_"Both._ It's about time that Kaori gets what she deserves," Hiro spat. "And it's about time that my daughter comes home with me for good." Before Kogoro could respond, he got up from his chair, walked over to the wall on his left and began to yell, "YOU HEAR THAT, YOU FUCKING BITCH?! YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO CHILD ABUSERS IN PRISON?! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!"

_"SIT DOWN!"_ Hiro did as he was told, with the cocky grin returning to his face. "Just tell me what happened, and for God's sake, have some self-control. When did you notice the bruises?"

"Well, after I took Rui home-"

"Ah, so you _do_ know her name," Kogoro spat. "I was beginning to think you forgot!" Hiro shot him a dirty look and continued. "After I took Rui home, I noticed she was favoring her arm, so I took a look and saw where Kaori grabbed her. It was hard to miss-I could see the pattern of her hand on the skin, for God's sake. I took her shirt off to put some cool water on the bruise, and that's when I saw all the bruises on her chest. It was...it was the worst thing I've ever seen."

"And I can tell how much it's hurting you," Kogoro said in disgust. "I have neither the time or patience to sit here and listen to a man who's discussing the possible abuse of his daughter _with a fucking smile on his face!_ There's only so many ways I can ask what the hell's wrong with you, for God's sake!"

"Do you have a point, Mouri-san?" Kogoro slapped his palms on the table, lowered his head so he was staring straight at Hiro, and growled, "I know you're lying. Rui told you about what happened at grandma and grandpa's house, so the makeup artist goes to work. This is nothing but a goddamned _game_ to you. You're fucking _sick,_ you know that?!"

Hiro responded to his accusation with crossed arms and an equally cold stare. "So what if I am? Kaori's made my life a living hell ever since we've been married. She's tried to keep me away from my daughter any chance she gets, whether it's through police visits, temporary restraining orders, or...'joint' custody arrangements. But now the ball's in _my_ court, and it's about time that bitch got a taste of her own medicine. And I can't wait to see the look on her face when she goes down."

Kogoro's blood was boiling as he got up from his seat and turned to leave the room. He had only taken two steps before he turned back around to face Hiro and spat, "And I can't wait to see the looks on _both_ of your faces when your parental rights are terminated. How can you raise a child when you're_ acting _like fucking children?!" Hiro's only response was a small, sarcastic wave goodbye as Kogoro stormed out and slammed the door behind him. Takagi and Megure were shocked to attention by the noise, with the inspector taking one look at Mouri's face and asking, "What the hell happened in there?"

"He faked her injuries."

Takagi's jaw dropped and he exclaimed, "WHAT?! How on Earth did he-"

"He's a makeup artist. Odds are that Rui told him what happened and he exaggerated the extent of her injuries to get back at Kaori. Speaking of which..." Kogoro opened the door to the interrogation room where she was being held, and he saw her pacing back and forth with her hands on her head, mumbling curses and empty threats to herself. Mouri cleared his throat to get her attention, and when she saw him, she stormed up to him and exclaimed, "Where the hell were you?! I've been waiting in here for over two hours listening to all these accusations being thrown at me! They're calling me a child abuser and threatening to throw me in jail for something I didn't do! You were there! You saw what happened!"

"Yeah, I did," Kogoro replied. "And I know your husband's lying." Kaori dropped her hands to her sides in surprise and said, "You do?"

"It was literally all over his face. He was grinning from ear to ear the entire time, even as he was recounting how he discovered the 'bruises.' You might still get charged if there's bruising on her arm from yesterday, but as far as all the other ones go? I'll bet a case of beer that they're completely fake."

"That son of a bitch..." Kaori clenched her fists and a determined glare flashed in her eyes as she demanded, "Take me to my daughter. _NOW."_

* * *

Sato's coat was draped over Rui's sleeping form, serving as a makeshift blanket as the detective tried in vain to get her paperwork in order. Her hand was shaking as she took down the names of a pair of brothers accused of breaking and entering, her emotions betraying her as she stabbed pen to paper and wrote down their ages with quick, angry strokes. Periodic glances towards the sleeping girl didn't help matters either as tears quickly came to Sato's eyes, forcing her to look away. She could deal with murderers, psychopaths, and career criminals with no issues, to say nothing of a couple of delinquents. Child abuse? That was every cop's worst nightmare...every _parent's_ worst nightmare. Sato wiped her eyes and put her pen down, rolling her chair next to Rui's. She looked so peaceful, so calm as she slept beneath the detective's coat, unaware of anything around her except her dreams. Sato smiled and put her hand on her shoulder, which stirred the little girl from her slumber and caused her to awaken. After her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she asked, "Wh...where am I?"

"You're in a police station, sweetie," Sato replied.

"Where's my mommy and daddy?"

"Uh...they're...talking with some of my friends right now. I've been keeping an eye on you since you and your daddy arrived."

"What happened?" Rui sat up in the chair, allowing the coat to fall to the floor as she asked, "Did they do something wrong?"

Sato wiped a stray tear from her face as she started to respond, but only got as far as the words "Your mommy" before she turned and saw Megure, Takagi and Kogoro following Kaori Maeda down the hall. The fire in her eyes and grim determination on her face gave Sato pause and caused Rui to crouch down and cover her ears in anticipation of the coming blowup as the angry woman stormed into her office. The trio of cops made sure to stick close by her as she approached Rui and asked, "Let me see your arm, honey."

Rui said nothing and remained in her defensive state. Kogoro knelt down in front of her and said, "We need to take a look at your bruises, Rui. I'm gonna have to ask you to-"

"Bruises?" The little girl raised her head at the mention of the word and asked, "What bruises?"

A shockwave coursed through the room as everyone tried to process what Rui had told them. Takagi was the first to make an attempt to explain: "How can you not know about the bruises on your chest, Rui? Your daddy brought you in here and said your mommy hit you."

"She...she grabbed me yesterday, but she didn't _hit_ me. All I remember is my daddy taking me back to his apartment, and he gave me some orange juice before I went to bed. After I fell asleep, I woke up here."

_He must have given her a sleeping aid._ That was the first thing that flashed through Kogoro's mind as he once again asked, "Can you take your shirt off for us, Rui? We just want to test something out."

"S...sure." Sato drew the blinds as Rui did what she was asked, and the quintet cringed in disgust as the ugly blotches were revealed. Megure reached into the mini fridge next to the desk and grabbed a small bottle of water, pouring it into a small white cloth he pulled from his coat. He knelt down in front of Rui and placed the cloth on the massive bruise covering her stomach, causing Rui to exclaim, "Ooh! That's cold!"

"Sorry, kid. Just hold still-it'll be over before you know it." Megure applied gentle, but firm, pressure as he moved the cloth across the bruise, and when he removed it, he realized that Kogoro had indeed been right. What was once a white piece of fabric was now stained purple and red from the makeup that had been applied to Rui's chest. Megure repeated his action with her remaining bruises, and that yielded the exact same result. When the bruise on her arm was revealed to be fake as well, with no visible damage where she had grabbed her, Kaori let out a furious scream and stormed out of the office, heading back to the interrogation rooms. She wasn't alone, however, as Takagi and Kogoro kept pace with her and tried to talk her down. Kaori was having none of it, however, and when she reached the door to where Hiro was being held, she slammed her fists into the metal and attempted to force the door open, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU LYING PIECE OF SHIT! YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! _I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!"_

Takagi and Kogoro let her have her moment before the junior detective pulled her away from the door, allowing Kogoro to unlock it. When he gained entry, he made sure to open it ever so slightly, allowing himself just enough room to fit his body through and quickly shut the door behind him. When he did, Kaori wrenched herself from Takagi's grip and tried once again to gain entry, but she was stopped when Megure arrived on the scene and ordered, _"Knock it off!_ You have every right to be angry with him, but for God's sake, watch what you're saying! If you keep screaming that, we'll have to treat it as a credible threat!"

"Please, Maeda-san, calm down," Takagi added. "We'll make sure your husband gets what he deserves."

"You damn well better," Kaori spat as white-hot rage burned in her eyes. "I'm not leaving without my daughter." The sound of the latch disengaging turned everyone's attention to the door as Kogoro led Hiro Maeda out of the interrogation room with his hands cuffed in front of him, his smug grin replaced with a defeated, angry glare. A rush of adrenaline coursed through Kaori's veins as she dragged Takagi along with her, getting directly in her husband's face and laughing as loudly and obnoxiously as she could, gloating in her triumph as the group once again returned to Sato's office. The racket was impossible to ignore as they marched down the hallway, with Hiro offering no reaction as Kaori gleefully continued to laugh at and taunt him while Takagi, Megure and Kogoro grew more and more irritated and disgusted as they tried to block out the din. Sato heard them coming long before she saw them, and she knew full well what was in store if they stuck around. With a smile, she took Rui's hand and said, "Come on. Let's go get you something to eat."

"Can I have some waffles?"

"Of course." Sato and Rui opened the door and attempted to leave, but by that point the traveling band was right in front of them. A defeated groan escaped Sato's throat as she and Rui returned to the confines of her office, with Kogoro sitting Hiro down in the chair on the right while Kaori grabbed the left chair and moved it over to the opposite side of the desk. Takagi and Kogoro stood alongside Sato and Rui as Megure sat down, and when he did, he asked Hiro, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Maeda said nothing and stared a hole through the inspector.

"If you're trying to intimidate me, you're gonna have to do better than that," Megure cracked. "I've seen more convincing glares on drunken salarymen." Kaori let out a loud, obnoxious chuckle that caused everyone in the room to shoot her a collective death glare. The smug grin that was once on Hiro's face was now on hers as Megure laid out Hiro's punishment: "The fact that you went to such lengths to try and deceive us speaks volumes about your character, Maeda-san. And quite frankly, I fear for Rui's safety if she's allowed to remain with you at this time. Who's to say you won't try something like this again? Therefore, effective immediately, I'm issuing a temporary restraining order. After you leave this building, you will be forbidden from contacting either Rui or Kaori for the next thirty days, and you must remain at least twenty feet away from them at all times. Failure to comply will result in your arrest. I'm also fining you 200,000 yen for filing a false child abuse report."

The smug grin on Kaori's face had by now turned to outright glee as she tried not to jump for joy at the news, but Kogoro could see her slightly pumping her clenched fists in victory. He gritted his teeth and looked away, sickened at her reaction. Hiro's reaction wasn't any better as he grinned and replied, "Well, what if I _don't_ leave this building? You can't keep me away from my daughter, inspector."

"Thirty days," Megure shot back, unfazed by his declaration. "You want me to make it sixty?" Hiro realized he wasn't going to back down, and his shoulders slumped in defeat as he let out a petulant, _"Fine._ I can pay the 200,000 before I leave-I've got the money." Then he turned to Kaori and declared, "And when those thirty days are up, I'm gonna pay you a little visit."

"Good luck with that." She got up from her seat and shook Megure's hand, saying, "Thank you for your help, inspector. But it's about time I took my daughter home." There was sadness in Rui's eyes as she took Kaori's hand, and she kept her head bowed as they prepared to leave. As Kaori opened the door, Hiro let out a desperate, furious cry of "She's _our_ daughter, you fucking bitch!"

She turned her head to face him, a triumphant grin plastered across her face, and declared, "Not anymore." Kogoro's eyes widened at their exchange as mother and daughter walked down the hall, leaving Hiro to stew in his own juices as he watched them leave. Megure turned to Takagi and Sato and said, "You two take him home. Odds are he's gonna need an escort."

"Yes sir," they replied. "And as for you, Mouri, thanks for coming in. If it weren't for you, we'd still be at square one."

"D...don't mention it." The Maedas' parting exchange repeated in his head as he exited the building, and once he was outside, he sat down on a nearby bench and pulled out his cell phone, calling Eri's office. She answered after two rings and replied, "Hello?"

"Eri, it's me. I just got out of police headquarters."

"How bad was it?" Kogoro sighed in exhaustion and said, "Hiro faked Rui's injuries. He got slapped with a temporary restraining order because of it-no contact with either of them for thirty days."

Eri gasped and exclaimed, "Just when I think those two can't reach a new low, they break out the shovels. I'm terrified to think of what they'll do to top themselves."

"You and me both. Listen, you remember that nightmare I told you about?"

"I do," Eri replied with interest.

"After what I just saw, I don't think it was a run-of-the-mill nightmare...I think it was a premonition. When Kaori left with Rui, the exchange she and Hiro had was exactly the same as it was in my dream. Hell, even the circumstances were exactly the same."

"If that's the case, then..." Eri paused in thought before asking, "Didn't you say the last part of your dream involved the two of them leaving Japan?"

"Yeah," Kogoro replied. "And if that's what's coming next, I've gotta figure out how to stop it. I'd better get back home and try to figure this out."

"You do that. I'll do what I can from here. Good luck, Kogoro."

"Same to you." He hung up his phone and ran to the nearby train station, nearly bowling over a couple of pedestrians. A sheepish apology escaped him as he continued on his way, knowing that a little girl's safety and possible freedom rested on his shoulders.

_I'm gonna do my best, Rui. For your sake._

* * *

Takagi and Sato walked Hiro into his apartment and removed his handcuffs. He rubbed his wrists and staggered into his living room, plopping himself down in his recliner and staring blankly into space. The detectives side-eyed each other with concern as Sato asked, "Are you okay, Maeda-san?"

Hiro kept staring straight ahead with no reply.

Takagi cringed and said, "O...kay, then, Maeda-san. Try to have a good night." Once again, there was no reply as the detectives closed the door, with both of them glancing back in worry as the space grew thinner. When it was fully shut, Maeda got up from his chair and calmly walked to his bedroom. His face showed no emotion as he opened his closet, rooted around for a few minutes, and came back out with a baseball bat. A small, broken chuckle escaped his throat as he walked back into his living room, the chuckle having evolved into a full-blown laugh. He looked around at all his work as he gripped the bat tighter and his eyes got wilder, brandishing it in front of him as he walked into the kitchen.

Hiro's laugh transformed into a violent scream as he used the microwave on his counter for batting practice, putting huge dents in its side and knocking its door off as he threw it to the floor. Then he turned his attention to the ceiling fan over the kitchen table, smashing the glass and two of the blades before two more whacks with the bat left it dangling from its mounting. His destructive temper tantrum continued onward as he buried the bat in his TV and wrenched a pair of bookshelves to the ground, one of which landed on his glass endtable and shattered it to pieces. Hiro walked over the broken shards and could feel some sinking into his bare feet, but his rage blinded him to the pain as he returned to the kitchen and took the bat to his cabinets. Still not satisfied with his destruction, he threw the doors open and heaved drinking glasses at the front door, the walls, and the floor, scattering more broken glass everywhere. His plates were next, hurled against the walls with the same result. A now-empty cabinet became the new target for his rage as he smashed the bat into it over and over again before dropping it and physically wrenching the cabinet off the wall with his bare hands. He staggered to his patio door, leaving bloody footprints on the carpet as he opened the door outside and hurled the cabinet into the street below.

As he stared over the railing with furious tears flowing down his face, he was startled back to attention as he glanced over his shoulder at his couch. Namely, the portrait hanging directly above it. His mouth hung open like a fish as he staggered back inside, shutting the patio door and standing in front of the portrait of his parents. He could feel their eyes staring him down.

Judging him.

Ridiculing him.

Mocking him.

With one final scream of rage, he yanked the painting off the wall, grabbed a piece of broken china, and stabbed through the canvas over and over again, tearing it to shreds. His rage had, at last, finally subsided. Now, his apartment was as broken as he was. There was nothing left for him to do except scream Kaori's name in rage.

And that's exactly what he did.


	9. That's The Ticket

THURSDAY, 5 PM

Kogoro rapped on the door of the Ishidas' house, anxiety eating away at his nerves as he glanced around for any signs of life. There was no car in the driveway and the lights appeared to be off, but he reasoned that was mainly due to the sun still being out. Nevertheless, he knocked on the door again and waited, rocking back and forth on his feet as he did so. This time, after about two minutes, the door opened to reveal the surprised face of Emi Ishida. "Mouri-sama! What are you doing here?"

"I have some news about Rui," Kogoro replied. "Is Satoshi here or-"

"You just missed him. He had to grab some odds and ends from the grocery store. Please, come in." Kogoro did as he was asked and sat down in the same chair he'd occupied the previous day as Emi asked, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Just some water, thanks." She grabbed a cold pitcher from the fridge and two glasses, poured some for her and her guest, and carried it out on the tray. "Here you are, Mouri-sama. What's the news about Rui?"

Kogoro sighed and asked, "Do you want the bad news or the worse news?" Emi's eyes widened at his statement as she asked, "What do you mean? What happened?"

"After Hiro took her home last night, he got the _brilliant_ idea in that dumbass head of his to use his makeup talents to make Rui look like Kaori abused her." Emi gasped in shock and exclaimed, "WHAT?! Tell me you're lying! Please, tell me this is a lie!"

"I wish I could," Kogoro replied in sadness. "He actually had the audacity to drag her into Tokyo Metropolitan headquarters and cry 'child abuse' in front of everyone. I got called in because your daughter named me as a witness, and after talking with Hiro, I put two and two together and figured out he was lying. He got a thirty-day restraining order and a hefty fine."

"So Kaori has custody," Emi sighed in aggravation. "Why do I have the feeling that she's only gonna make things worse?"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way," Kogoro replied as he stood up. "Listen, what I'm about to say is gonna sound really strange, but hear me out. I had a nightmare last night that involved Hiro, Kaori and Rui. But the more I think about it, I think the dream was a premonition. After the inspector laid out Hiro's punishment, the exchange he and Kaori had was _exactly_ the same as the one in my dream, right down to the words they said. I really wanna write it off as just a coincidence, but..."

"But what?" Emi asked with intrigue.

"That's the thing. The second part of the dream involved the two of them leaving Japan altogether." Kogoro rubbed the back of his neck and said, "You showed me that giant folder yesterday-would it be possible if I could borrow it?"

"Of course." Emi retrieved it from the closet and handed it to Kogoro. "Just make sure you return it when you're done."

"No problem." He opened the door and was just about to leave before Emi said, "Oh, before you go...I found these while I was cleaning up Kaori's room the other day." She handed Kogoro a small white envelope, and he tucked it in the manila folder. "I don't know if that'll be any help, but there it is regardless."

"Everything helps." Kogoro thanked her once again for her hospitality and left the house, shutting the door behind him. When he did, Emi frowned as Satoshi came upstairs from the basement. "Did you give him the tickets?"

"I certainly did." She let out a sad sigh and added, "I can't believe her...I can't believe our own daughter would do something this reckless..."

"I can. It pains me to say that, but I can." Satoshi walked up to Emi and hugged her from behind, reassuring her with a gentle, "Don't worry, dear. By this time tomorrow, Rui will be safe and sound with us and those two deadbeats will be in jail."

"I just wish..." Emi let out an irritated groan and said, "I wish it didn't have to come to this. I mean, we tried to kidnap our own granddaughter, for God's sake!"

"And it would've worked if I'd have seen that damn pipe," Satoshi grumbled. "I was _this_ close to getting away..."

"You can't beat yourself up about that, Satoshi. The ground did that for you." He laughed at her good-natured joke and replied, "That's my girl. Once Mouri-sama figures it out, odds are he'll get the police involved, and when that happens, there'll be nowhere for Kaori to run. Not from us, and not from them."

"But what about us? Where are we going to run?"

"Straight into Rui's arms," Satoshi declared. "The police know exactly what kind of people Hiro and Kaori are. Selfish...self-centered...miserable. This is what they deserve."

Emi sighed and said, "And all because Kaori left her laptop open."

"Amazing what one small mistake can lead to, isn't it?"

"Absolutely." Satoshi kissed Emi on the cheek and said, "One more day."

She returned the gesture and gave him a hug. "One more day."

* * *

"Here you go, honey! Your favorite!" Kaori placed a bowl of coconut curry and a plate of rice in front of Rui, smiling as she returned to the stove and poured herself a bowl. Rui, however, was in no mood to eat as she sadly stared at her food, poking at the rice with her fork. Kaori chuckled and said, "Don't tell me you're not hungry, kiddo! You love coconut curry!"

Rui said nothing, instead letting out a small whine as she continued to poke at her rice. "I get it," Kaori exclaimed. "You're still upset over what happened today." She knelt down in front of her and held her hands, attempting to reassure her with, "This is the best thing for the two of us, honey. What your daddy did was wrong. Very, _very_ wrong, and he deserved to be punished for what he did."

"Am I ever gonna see him again?" Rui asked.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Kaori declared. "After that stunt, he doesn't deserve to breathe the same _air_ as you. He's lucky I didn't get my hands on him, otherwise I'd have..." She clenched her fists in front of her and gritted her teeth, but her anger got the best of her once again as she pounded her fists into the counter. Rui flinched at the noise and tried to get up from her seat, but Kaori stopped her cold with, "Where do you think you're going? You haven't even touched your food."

"I need to get my homework done. It's a school night."

"You don't need to worry about homework, baby. In fact, you won't need to worry about anything anymore."

"What...what are you talking about?"

"I've got a big surprise lined up for the two of us tomorrow. I had to delay it a week, but it's something I've been meaning to do for a long time. You and me...just the two of us." The triumphant smile on Kaori's face set off alarm bells in Rui's head as she returned to her bowl of curry, saying, "Now, try to eat a little something. I hate to see your favorite dish go to waste."

Rui clutched the Detective Boys badge in her pocket and took a bite of curry, giving her mother a suspicious, worried look. One bite led to several more, and before she knew it, she had finished her dinner. Kaori gathered her dishes and put them in the dishwasher, saying, "That's my good girl. Now, what do you say we watch a movie together?"

Rui smiled and replied, "Sure, but...I gotta go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." Kaori nodded and sat down on the couch as the little girl retreated to the safety of the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She climbed into the bathtub and pulled the curtain closed, laying down on her stomach so her mother wouldn't hear her.

_I hope this works._

She pulled the Detective Boys badge from her pocket and pressed the button on the side, activating it. After a few seconds, she heard voices talking on the other end, recognizing them as Conan and Haibara. Her heart soared as she whispered, "Conan-kun? Haibara-chan? Can you hear me?"

* * *

A bright yellow light emanated from Hiroshi Agasa's workbench as the inventor put the finishing touches on a new badge for Shinichi. He attached the microphone and speaker to the rear of the metal and tested them out with Haibara's badge, and when he heard her voice confirm that it worked, he nodded in approval and handed it to Shinichi. He put the badge in his pocket as Agasa asked, "What happened to the badge you had before? Did you lose it?"

"Not exactly," he responded. "I gave it to a girl I met at school."

"Ah, you made a new friend," Agasa said with a smile as he removed the light shields from his glasses.

"You could say that," Haibara said as she stood beside Shinichi. "Her name is Rui. Kudo-kun gave her his badge after she told us her story."

"Oh? Is she in trouble?"

"Yeah. Her parents are at war with each other," Shinichi explained, "and she's caught in the middle. Her mom picked her up from school that day, and I had a feeling they weren't gonna go straight home."

"So you gave her the badge in order to track it with your glasses," Agasa concluded. "Smart thinking."

"They went to Tokyo Midtown and her mom bought her, essentially, a whole new wardrobe," Haibara said. "We met up with her again at recess yesterday and showed her the pictures we took at the mall, and she got really sad." Shinichi scrolled to the photos in question and handed his phone to Agasa as Haibara added, "She said that her mom told her to act like she was having a good time. Her smile in that photo says she was, but judging by the look in her eyes, I'd say she wasn't."

"I'll say," Agasa said as he studied the picture. "The eyes are the windows to the soul, as the saying goes."

"The whole thing just makes me sick," Shinichi said in disgust. "Every child deserves to be loved and cared for, but Rui's parents don't give a damn about her. Honestly, if I had the choice, I'd lock those two up and throw away the key. They can't even take care of themselves, much less a six-year old girl."

"It's sad, really," Haibara added as she took Agasa's free hand in hers. "She's dealing with this every single day, and..." Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away and said, "I just wish there was something we could do."

"You and me both." A sad silence hung in the air between the trio before a crackling from Conan's badge filled the room. "Conan-kun? Haibara-chan? Can you hear me?"

The voice stunned the trio to attention as Conan pulled his badge out of his pocket and extended the antenna. "Rui? Is that you?"

"Conan-kun! Oh, thank goodness! Listen, I need you to come over to my mommy's apartment right away!"

"Why?" Conan asked as Haibara put her ear to the conversation. "Did something happen?"

"I think something's _about_ to happen. Mommy said that she has a big surprise for me tomorrow."

"What is it?" Haibara asked.

"She didn't say, but she did say she had to delay it a week. She also told me I wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore..."

_A week? What would she delay- _A lightning bolt of realization hit Conan right between the eyes, and he gasped in shock. "Rui, stay right there! Haibara and I are on our way!"

"I will. Please hurry, Conan-kun." He activated his tracking glasses and ran to a locker near Agasa's workstation, pulling out his turbo engine skateboard. "Hold on, Shinichi," the professor exclaimed. "I should drive you there myself!"

"I can't run the risk of your car breaking down! We need to get there as fast as we can!"

"Touche." Conan opened the front door, then put the skateboard on the ground and activated it, stepping onto the front of the board as Haibara climbed on the rear, wrapping her arms around his waist for support. He blushed ever so slightly as his glasses pinpointed the location of Kaori's apartment, and once they did, he stepped on the accelerator and rocketed out of the house into the setting sun. The only thing Agasa could do was say a silent prayer for their safety as he returned to his work.

* * *

6:38 PM

Kogoro dropped the manila folder onto his desk and sat down, opening it to get a closer look at the array of police reports contained within. As he spread them out, he was relieved to see that the Ishidas had kept them in chronological order, which made his job that much easier. When Ran entered the agency, she took one look at the mound of paperwork and asked, "This is all related to the Maedas?"

"Every single piece of it," Kogoro sighed. "The Ishidas kept detailed records, that's for sure."

"Unbelievable," Ran said with distaste as she shook her head. "How far back does it go?"

"To right around the time Rui was born. Their entire marriage has been one big fight from the word 'go'...just like mine." Ran's eyes filled with worry as she pulled up a chair beside her father and draped her arm across his shoulder. "And don't try telling me it wasn't. Hell, it seemed like the only thing Eri and I did was fight...and you saw it all. I'm...I'm sorry we put you through all that. I truly am."

"Dad..." Ran gave Kogoro a big hug, one that he returned in kind. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," he replied as tears began to fall down his cheeks. "You deserved better. You deserved a father who doesn't drink or gamble or chase after pretty women. You deserved a mother who was there for you whenever you needed her. You deserved a _family,_ Ran! All we gave you was a goddamned broken home!" Ran gasped at his statement as Kogoro sobbed, "I'm supposed to be the responsible one, but _look at me!_ I can't take care of myself, I can't reconcile with Eri, I couldn't provide a steady income until Kudo disappeared..._what the hell good am I?!"_

Ran's jaw hung open in shock as Kogoro broke down crying on her shoulder, and it wasn't long before she felt tears welling in her own eyes as she held on and waited for him to let it all out. Once Kogoro had calmed down, she leaned back so they were face to face and asked, "You really wanna help that little girl, don't you?"

"In the worst possible way." He wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "I had a nightmare last night, Ran...one of the worst I've ever had. That's why you saw me screaming in the alley. The end of the dream had Rui and her mom leaving Japan, and there's no way I can let that happen. I've gotta find a connection in all of this."

_"We'll_ find a connection, dad." Ran moved her chair so it was facing the desk and said, "Because I'm gonna help you." Kogoro arched his eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Ran replied with confidence. "This is a lot of paperwork to comb through, and odds are you'll need another set of eyes. And who better than me?" A warm smile appeared on her father's face as he divided the paper trail in half and gave the top portion to her, saying, "Thank you, Ran. I love you...so much."

She kissed him on the cheek and replied, "I love you too, dad. Don't ever forget that." Their spirits lifted, they each began to look through their pile of evidence, hoping to find the smoking gun.

* * *

6:53 PM

The blip on Conan's tracking glasses began to flash rapidly as he and Haibara neared the location of Kaori Maeda's apartment. A quick rounding of a corner later, the radar indicated that the building on the left was their destination, and when they reached it, Conan brought the skateboard to a halt and tucked it behind a bush outside the entrance. Haibara scanned the names on the call list, and right near the top in apartment 103 was Kaori Maeda. Conan pulled out his badge and asked, "Rui? Are you still there?"

There was no response.

"Rui? RUI?!"

Once again, there was silence on the other end. Conan asked Haibara, "Do you think we should ring the bell? If Kaori comes out and sees the two of us, she'd probably get suspicious."

"Good idea," Haibara replied. "That's why it _shouldn't_ be us ringing the bell." She motioned to Conan's voice changing bowtie and asked, "What's the one thing that could get her to leave her apartment?"

"Or better yet, _who."_ A determined, devious grin appeared on Conan's face as he adjusted the dials on the bowtie, speaking into it until he found the voice he was looking to imitate. Once he had it at the ready, he pressed the button to Kaori's apartment, and after a few seconds of silence, she asked, "Yes? Who is it?" Hiro's voice emanated from the bowtie as Conan said, "You know damn well who this is."

_"Where are you, you bastard?"_

"I'm right outside the entrance. Come and get me, bitch." Conan and Haibara jumped off the stoop and hid behind the same bush as the skateboard, watching as the front door to the building burst open and a furious Kaori Maeda stormed out with murder in her eyes. The force with which she opened the door locked it in place as Conan and Haibara watched her storm off down the sidewalk, and that was when they made their move. They ran into the building and shut the door behind them, locking Kaori outside as they made their way to apartment 103. She had left the door to the apartment wide open in her haste, and when Haibara and Conan entered, three massive suitcases stood to their right. Conan raised his eyebrow in suspicion as Haibara shut the door and locked it, exclaiming, "Haibara-chan...look at this."

She looked the cases up and down, observing, "These are as big as us. Looks like they're taking a pretty big trip."

"If that's the case, why do I have the feeling that it's one-way?" Conan asked, his voice thick with worry.

"If _that's_ the case, we need to find out where and when. But first, we need to find Rui."

"Right." There was little ground to cover in the simple apartment, so the duo stuck together and headed down the hallway. The bathroom door was wide open, and there was no sign of Rui. Kaori's bedroom also showed no signs of the little girl, but when they checked her bedroom, there she was, tucked in her bed and snoring peacefully. Conan crept around the side so he was facing her, and gently lifted up the bedsheet to reveal that not only was she fully clothed, but she was wearing the bright blue dress from notsobig. Haibara let out a small gasp as she realized what she was looking at, asking, "Why would she be wearing this? What on earth does her mom have planned?"

"There's only one way to find out." They retreated from Rui's bedroom back to Kaori's, where a file cabinet and small table stood across from her bed. Conan opened the file drawer and began to rifle through its contents while Haibara booted up the laptop on the table. When she flipped the screen up, it went straight to the desktop, having been in screensaver mode. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she logged onto the Internet while Conan continued to look through the file cabinet. He had reached the back of the drawer and was just about to close it before two words caught his eye:

**LOS ANGELES**

* * *

"Dad, look at this!"

Kogoro turned his attention from his half to Ran's, where she had laid out the three spousal battery allegations. "I know, Ran; I saw those the other day."

"No, look at the notes!" Kogoro took them and read through the first: _No concrete evidence to support accusations. Restraining order request denied._ Then the second: _No concrete evidence to support accusations. Restraining order request denied._ And the third: _Bruising on child's arm from a fall at local playground. Restraining order request denied._

"Persistent, isn't she?" Kogoro wondered in disgust. "Judging by the dates, she waited eight months between reports before trying again. Why would she do that?"

"Probably to throw off any suspicion," Ran answered. "If she kept filing reports like this all the time, odds are that either she or Hiro would've been arrested."

"And if that were the case, we wouldn't be sitting here."

"If only," Ran groaned as she moved her stack of papers aside. When she did, she uncovered the envelope and asked, "What's the deal with this? This looks brand new."

"Emi gave me that," Kogoro answered. "I just stuck it in the folder for safekeeping; I haven't had a chance to look through it yet."

"Well, let's do that." Ran opened the envelope and removed its contents, unfolding the documents within.

* * *

Conan pulled the file out of the drawer and laid it on Kaori's bed. Haibara grabbed her laptop and brought it over as the file was opened, revealing the extent of Kaori's plan. Two passports were at the front of the pile, and when the duo investigated them, they found that although the photographs contained within were of Rui and Kaori, the passports had been registered to a Rebecca and Karen Murphy, respectively. Conan and Haibara shot each other worried glances as they turned their attention to the next item in the folder-a pair of birth certificates with the same aliases on either one. The duo's worry quickly became shock as they moved the documents aside...and found the smoking gun.

Plane tickets. Or, rather, cancelled plane tickets. The earliest pair was dated from two years ago, with the flight set to take place on February 3 at 8 am. The second pair was dated eight months later, with another 8 am departure time on October 15. The third pair was dated eight months after that, with yet another 8 am departure time on the tickets, dated June 14. All of them were registered to the fake names on the passports and birth certificates. Haibara's jaw hung open in shock and horror as Conan flipped to the fourth pair of tickets, and when he did, it was all he could do not to scream. It was for yet another 8 am departure time, but it was the date that caught the duo's attention.

Thursday, April 13.

Haibara pointed at the date and exclaimed, "That was the day her father-"

"Took her to Tokyo Disneyland." Conan's spine turned to ice as he pulled out his cell phone and took pictures of the evidence as Haibara turned her attention back to the computer. Kaori was still logged into her e-mail account, and when she pulled it up, an e-mail from American Airlines sat flagged at the top of her mailbox. Opening the document revealed an order for another pair of plane tickets, departing Narita International Airport at 8 am and arriving at Los Angeles International Airport the next day.

One way.

Rebecca and Karen Murphy, passengers.

Friday, April 21.

Tomorrow.

They barely had time to process the information before the sharp buzz of the doorbell signaled Kaori was back. Sweat flowed from Haibara's brow as she made a copy of the e-mail and sent it to herself and to Conan. Having gathered all the evidence he needed, Conan returned the file to its proper place and Haibara did the same with the laptop. The doorbell rang again as they opened the door to the apartment, and a quick peek around the corner revealed a frustrated, spent Kaori Maeda standing in front of the entrance door. She pressed the doorbell to her apartment one more time and, when there was once again no answer, she let out an aggravated sigh and turned around. Her back was to the door as Conan and Haibara made their move, tearing down the hall the opposite way and exiting through the back. Once they were out, they stopped to catch their breath as Conan exclaimed, "It all makes sense! Hiro must have uncovered her plan, and he took Rui to the theme park to keep her away from Kaori! _That's_ why she wanted him to have zero visitation rights! That way, he couldn't stop her when she tried to leave Japan!"

"And the clothes weren't just a way to get back at him," Haibara added. "They were to make sure nobody would recognize them! All their regular clothes were still in their closets!"

"And if she's leaving at 8 am tomorrow, then she'll probably leave here around three, four in the morning. Once they get through airport security, they're home free. We can't let that happen, Haibara."

"We need to call the police," she insisted. "We need to tell them about this."

"They're not gonna believe a couple of kids," Conan countered. "But I know who they _will_ believe." He peeked back through the door and saw nothing but an empty hallway, and more importantly, no sign of Kaori. With no time to waste, Conan and Haibara ran back around to the front of the building, retrieved the turbo engine skateboard, and rocketed back to the Mouri Detective Agency.

* * *

"Plane tickets?" Ran laid the contents of the envelope out on the desk as Kogoro leaned over to get a closer look. "Why would she give you plane tickets?"

"Good question," he replied as he picked up the first page in the stack. "Bigger question-who the hell are Rebecca and Karen Murphy? Was this-" Kogoro's question trailed off as he read through the cancelled ticket, and his eyes grew wide when he saw the departure date: February 3. He reached his free hand over and asked, "Ran, can you give me the spousal battery reports?"

"Sure." When he looked at the earliest report, the filing date was the first thing that jumped out at him, and his heart began to race when he looked at it. "January 29..." Kogoro placed the plane ticket and battery report together and moved on to the next. "October 11..." The blood began to drain from his face as he noticed a series of disturbing traits in each of the plane tickets: they were all flights leaving at 8 am, the passengers for all the flights were Rebecca and Karen Murphy, and perhaps most disturbing of all, every one of the flights was one-way. Sweat beaded on his brow as he took the last plane ticket and battery report, comparing the dates and noticing a familiar, devastating pattern once again.

"June 10. Son of a bitch..." Kogoro rose from his seat with his hands on his head and his eyes wide as saucers, shaking his head in astonishment. "Rebecca and Karen have to be Rui and Kaori. She was banking on Hiro getting slapped with a restraining order, but when that didn't happen, she had to postpone kidnapping her daughter. How in the hell is she-"

_"Dad?"_ Ran rose from her seat, her voice dripping with fear. Kogoro turned his attention to her as she handed him yet another airplane ticket: an 8 am, one-way departure for Rebecca and Karen Murphy which was due to leave last Thursday.

April 13.

Kogoro was frenzied as he pulled out his cell phone and called Eri. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as the phone rang, and when he heard her voice on the other end, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Kogoro?"

"Eri, this past Sunday...when Ran and Conan came over...when Kaori was in your office..."

_"Breathe,_ dear. Slow down and use complete sentences." Kogoro let out an aggravated sigh, put his phone down and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves. He put Eri on speaker with a quivering hand and said, "Okay. Let's try this again. On Sunday, when Ran and Conan came to your office, Kaori Maeda stopped by. Did she say anything incriminating?"

"What's going on?" Eri asked with suspicion. "What the hell did that psycho do now?"

"I have reason to believe she's trying to kidnap Rui. I've got a stack of cancelled airplane tickets dating back to January of last year sitting in front of me-they're all one-way trips to Los Angeles leaving from Narita at 8 am, and they were all purchased roughly eight months apart from each other. And get this: the passenger names are listed as Rebecca and Karen Murphy."

On the other end of the line, Eri could feel the anger building in her chest as she demanded, "What else did you find?"

"Three reports of spousal battery dated roughly four to five days before the scheduled departure time on the plane tickets. Kaori requested a restraining order on all three reports, but she was denied every time. According to the tickets, the flights were cancelled within two days of the scheduled departure."

"But that's not all, is it?"

"No, it isn't," Ran said in a shaking, furious voice. "Do you remember when Conan asked Kaori about the stunt Hiro pulled? When she said she caught him in the act?"

"I do."

"She said it happened three days prior. Well, I have another plane ticket in my hands-same departure time, same names, same destination, same one-way trip. The date? Thursday, April 13."

There was silence on the other end as Eri connected the dots. When she did, a shocked, angry yell cut through the office as she exclaimed, _"TOKYO DISNEYLAND!"_

_"That's_ why she wanted zero visitation! With Hiro out of the way, there'd be no one to stop her from leaving with Rui! I mean, she said 'a child belongs with their mother' clear as day when she was in your office!" Ran and Kogoro heard an audible thump on the other end of the line as Eri slammed her fist into her desk and exclaimed, "I should've known there were ulterior motives! That _fucking_ bitch!" She took a deep breath to calm herself down and ordered, "Kogoro, hang up and call-"

"Mom...wait," Ran said. "There's one more ticket." As she unfolded the document, Conan and Haibara walked in the door, their faces just as focused and furious as Kogoro's and Ran's. As they approached the desk, Kogoro let out a sharp, angry cry as he finished reading the travel plan: 8 am departure. Rebecca and Karen Murphy. One way. Date of departure Friday, April 21. He collapsed into his chair and exclaimed, "They're leaving tomorrow!"

There was silence on the other end of the line as Eri realized the magnitude of what Kogoro said. All she could muster was a hushed, "My God."

"And with that temporary restraining order, Megure gave her exactly what she wanted. Jesus Christ..." Conan and Haibara stood by Ran, who crouched down and put her arms over their shoulders as Eri ordered, "Kogoro, hang up and call Megure right now. Take all the evidence you have to police headquarters. I'll be waiting for you."

Kogoro did as he was told.

* * *

8:40 PM

Kogoro, Eri, Ran, Conan and Haibara stood in Megure's office as the inspector looked over each piece of evidence. He remained silent as he moved from page to page, but everyone could see that he was getting angrier by the second. The spousal battery allegations were bad enough, but when paired with the cancelled plane tickets, Megure saw the connection right away and gritted his teeth. He slammed the final ticket on his desk and grabbed the sides of his head in shock, exclaiming, "This...this is unbelievable. How in the hell did we..."

"We didn't know either, inspector-dono," Kogoro replied. "If Ran hadn't looked in the envelope, we'd still have our heads in the sand."

Megure grunted and held up copies of the photos Conan took in Kaori's apartment, which made him flash Haibara a knowing grin that she returned in kind. "We have enough evidence here to put Kaori Maeda behind bars for a long, long time. The only thing we have to do is stop her before she leaves Japan."

"Why don't you perform a stakeout?" Conan suggested. "Have some of your officers posted at every major access point in the airport so they can stop her before she gets away."

"And not only that," Eri added, "get on the phone to airport security. Tell them to keep an eye out for a Rebecca and Karen Murphy traveling to Los Angeles, and get the pictures of their passports over there."

"Got it." Megure got on the phone and began to make calls, and the group took that as their cue to leave. As they walked down the hall, Kogoro turned to Eri and asked, "Are you up for an airport run tomorrow morning?"

"We won't be able to stop her on her own, Kogoro," she countered.

"I know. I just wanna be there to see the look on her face when it falls apart."

"Well, now that you mention it..." Eri grinned and added, "I wanna see that too."

Kogoro nodded and declared, "Then it's settled. We've got a trip to cancel." As they stepped out into the night, Conan and Haibara side-eyed each other in bemusement as Shinichi thought, _Really, Kogoro? An action movie pun?_


	10. Convergence

FRIDAY, 3:30 AM

He knew it was wrong. At this point, he was well within twenty feet of Rui and Kaori. He knew he would get put in jail for this, but he didn't care. He was Rui's _father,_ for God's sake. How could she have the audacity to keep from him what was rightfully his?

Hiro Maeda paid his fare and stepped out of the taxicab onto the sidewalk, and when the car drove away, he had a clear path to the front door of Kaori's apartment building. He cut across the street and stood in front of the array of call buttons, pressing the bell for apartment 103. A few seconds of waiting brought no answer, which was old hat at this point-he was used to long wait times when it came to visiting Rui at Kaori's apartment, having had to tough it out in a driving rainstorm for over an hour two years ago. There was no rain in the forecast in these early morning hours, so Hiro stood outside the door and glanced at his watch. After five minutes had passed with no acknowledgement, he grunted in irritation and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Kaori's number. The call went straight to voicemail-no surprise there-and he said, "Kaori, it's Hiro. We need to talk. Call me back."

He hung up and stared at the sky, trying to keep his anger under control. He took deep breaths, paced back and forth, and even tried little leaps off the ground to calm himself, but none of them did any good. Hiro cursed under his breath and moved to ring the doorbell once again, but before he could, the door opened and a tenant dressed in running clothes stepped out into the night and began to jog down the sidewalk. When he saw his opening, Hiro took it and grabbed the door just before it closed, re-opening it and heading into the building.

Kaori's apartment was just a few doors in from the entrance, and he raised his hand to knock, but when he did, he saw that the door had been left slightly ajar. He tilted his head in suspicion as he walked into the apartment and saw everything exactly where it was supposed to be...not like the rage-induced temper tantrum he now called home. Rui's bedroom was his first stop, and when he opened the door and crept in, he could tell something was off. What, exactly, he didn't know, but he persisted and sat down on her bed. His face showed no emotion as he reached over to stroke his daughter's hair, but all he wound up stroking was the fabric of her pillowcase. Hiro's suspicion turned to shock as he threw the covers off to reveal an empty bed, and that sight turned his shock to fury.

"KAORI!" He left Rui's bedroom and stormed into Kaori's, yanking the covers off of the bed and screaming, "WHERE THE FUCK IS OUR-" However, instead of the sight of his sleeping wife, he saw yet another empty bed. Panic began to seep into Hiro's veins as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number once again. The other line rang in his ear, but off in the distance, he heard Kaori's ringtone. He gulped back his nerves as he walked towards the living room, and all the while, the ringtone grew louder. When he reached the kitchen, he turned on the light and right there, sitting on the counter, was Kaori's phone. But that wasn't the only thing there. Not by a long shot.

Sitting alongside her phone was her wallet. No paper money was in the folds, but her credit cards, ID card, and assorted reward program cards were untouched. Hiro was shaking with rage as he tossed the wallet aside and glared at the objects next to it, and what he saw made his blood run cold: Rui's phone. Rui's ID card. And most terrifying of all, Rui and Kaori's passports. A series of choked, enraged gasps escaped Hiro's throat as he returned to Rui's bedroom and opened her closet door to reveal all her clothes, shoes and stuffed animals sitting untouched. When he checked Kaori's room, he found the exact same thing-all her clothes and shoes were still right there in her closet. Hiro screamed in rage and stormed into the kitchen once again, and that was when he noticed the final coup de grace lying on the kitchen table. His hands shook violently as he glared down at the paper, and what he saw sent him into a state of rage he'd never felt before.

**FRIDAY, APRIL 21**  
**AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 2356**  
**NRT TO LAX**  
**ONE WAY**  
**REBECCA AND KAREN MURPHY, PASSENGERS**  
**8:00 AM**

Scrawled at the bottom of the paper was a final, mocking message from Kaori:

_I win, asshole._

Hiro clenched the paper in his fist and ran outside. His face was a gruesome combination of desperation and fury as he ran up the sidewalk hoping to find a taxicab, and two streets ahead, he found one. The cab driver dropped off his previous fare and began to drive on, but was forced to slam on the brakes when Hiro ran directly in front of him. After the shock subsided, Hiro climbed into the backseat and exclaimed, "NARITA AIRPORT! _NOW!"_

* * *

3:40 AM

Kogoro and Eri stepped off the train into Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station. Caffeine flowed through their veins thanks to the cups of coffee in their hands as they ascended the escalator and entered the heart of the international departure lobby. The early morning hours meant the normal hustle and bustle of the airport was now a mere trickle, which allowed them to rendezvous with Megure, his officers, and the security detail at the office near North Exit N1. Eri took a sip of her coffee as Takagi opened the door to reveal Megure standing in front of the desk as the head of airport security studied the evidence laid out before him. Kogoro sat down in the chair next to the inspector as he said, "Along with the officers under my command, I was also able to enlist the help of Kogoro Mouri and Eri Kisaki."

The head of security, a tall, well-built man named Toshiro Suzuki, smiled and said, "The great Sleeping Kogoro and the Queen of Lawyers. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Eri said as she shook his hand. "I'm guessing that I'm the first lawyer mentioned when you arrest someone?"

"All the time," Suzuki answered. "But when you catch them red-handed, their bravado goes away pretty quick."

"I just wish we could say the same about Kaori Maeda," Kogoro added as he repeated Eri's gesture. "This is the fifth time that she's tried pulling this stunt, and as far as she knows, it's gonna go off without a hitch sometime in the next four hours." He pointed to the copies of the plane tickets, passports and birth certificates and asked, "Who else knows about this?"

"After I received the inspector's e-mail, I put out a facility-wide alert," Suzuki explained. "Everyone from my security team to the janitors knows who they are, what they look like, and where they're going. If they're not stopped at the check-in counter, we'll get them in passport control."

"We can only hope," Megure said as he stood up. "We can scope out the public areas of the airport while your guys keep an eye on the departure wings. I'm willing to bet that she'll try to kill some time with a four-hour wait staring her in the face."

"I don't know, inspector," Takagi said. "I think she's gonna try to get through security as fast as possible. Fake ID's, fake names-the sooner she's in the air, the better."

"That's not gonna happen," Kogoro declared. "I don't care if you have to lock down the entire airport-Kaori and Rui Maeda are not leaving Japan. Not on my watch." The fire in his eyes was echoed in Eri's, and she added, "I agree with Takagi-san. She's been trying to do this for two years, and now that her plan is finally being put into motion, she'll want to get on that flight by any means necessary. Odds are she'll probably have Rui sedated so she doesn't say their real names or what they're doing."

Kogoro shuddered as he finished the remainder of his coffee and tossed the cup in Suzuki's trashcan. "Where do you want Eri and I to keep watch, inspector-dono?"

"Well, Sato and Chiba are patrolling the airport mall," Megure explained. "Shiratori is down in the arrival lobby, and Takagi is going up to the fifth floor." He shot him a knowing glare, and Takagi took that as his cue to get moving. Satisfied, Megure turned to Eri and Kogoro and said, "If you two could stick around here and keep an eye on both sides of the departure lobby, that would be ideal."

"We'll do our best, inspector," Eri replied. Kogoro nodded and said, "Whatever it takes."

"Before you go, take these." Suzuki opened the locker to the right of his desk and pulled out a pair of walkie-talkies. "This way, we can keep in touch."

"Good idea," Eri said as she took one and Kogoro took the other. "Do you and your team have some, inspector?" Megure pulled the device from his belt and showed it to her, saying, "No need to worry, Kisaki-san. We're all wired and ready to go."

"Then let's do it." Kogoro left the office and headed for the south wing, while Eri took the north. Megure shut the door and sat back down in front of Suzuki, unclipping the walkie-talkie from his belt and clutching it in his fist. He said a silent prayer as he waited patiently for the reports to come in.

* * *

3:55 AM

Black shoes, black pants, black sweatshirt, a trenchcoat, a facemask, a pair of sunglasses, and a baseball cap. Satoshi Ishida checked his disguise in the rearview mirror of his car as Emi sat in the passenger seat with worry in her eyes. "I can't believe we're doing this. What if we get caught?"

"Then you tell the police that I forced you to do it," Satoshi replied as he donned the baseball cap. "One of us has to be there to see Rui grow up."

"But what about you, honey? If you're put in jail..."

"I don't care about that, Emi. All I care about is keeping that little girl safe." He slipped the loops of the facemask over his ears, covering his face in white. "If I have to serve time so she can have a better life, then so be it." He let out a heavy sigh as he glanced at a photo of an eight-year old Kaori and asked, "What the hell happened to our daughter? Where did we go wrong?"

"We didn't," Emi answered. "We gave her nothing but love and affection and encouragement her entire life. I can't believe she didn't do the same for Rui."

"Neither can I," Satoshi spat as he shook his head in anger. "But that's where we come in. Rui deserves love, and affection, and encouragement, and she didn't get that from either of them. She's been treated like a toy ever since she was born. But that's all gonna change today...I can feel it."

"You crazy old man," Emi said with a nervous smile as she stroked his cheek.

"You lovable old bat," Satoshi replied as he returned the gesture. The Ishidas exited the car, which they had taken care to park in a secluded area of the parking garage near the top floor, and Emi ran into Satoshi's arms and gave him a huge hug, which he returned in kind. "I love you so, so much," Emi said. "In case I don't ever see you again..."

"You'll see me again," Satoshi assured her. "And when you do, I'll have our granddaughter along for the ride."

"Please...be careful."

"I will," he replied as he donned the sunglasses. "Besides, I don't think there'll be any metal pipes to trip me up in here." Emi couldn't help but laugh as her disguised husband headed for the elevator, watching and waving as he stepped inside and the door closed. With no other option, she climbed into the driver's seat of the car and waited.

* * *

4:11 AM

The taxicab pulled up to the curb at North Exit N1 of Terminal 1 as Hiro Maeda glared through the window. "We're here, sir," the cabbie said. "That'll be-"

Before he could finish, Hiro exited the cab, walked around to the driver's side door and knocked on the window. When the cabbie rolled it down, he was greeted with a question: "Are you married?" The frankness of the query as well as the emotionless manner in which it was asked gave the cabbie pause, and he replied with a nervous, "Y...yes. I am."

"Any kids?"

"None yet, but my wife is seven months pregnant. We're gonna have a little boy."

"And I'm willing to bet you're probably excited as hell, aren't you?"

"Of course. I mean, being a parent is one of the greatest honors one can have in this life. We haven't decided on a name yet, but..."

"Let me give you some advice." Hiro leaned down so they were face to face and declared, "Don't let anything or anyone come between you and your kid. If, for some reason, you wind up getting divorced, do whatever you can to remain in his life. He's gonna need his dad just as much as his mom. Maybe more." He chuckled and added, "As for me, odds are you're gonna see me on the news today. Consider this a sneak preview."

He pulled two 10,000 yen bills out of his wallet and handed them to the driver. "Keep the change. My name is Hiro Maeda, and I'm here to pick up my daughter."

"Do...you want me to stay behind?"

"No. You get on your way. There's more fares to be had and more money to be made. And you make sure you save as much of it as you can." The cabbie nodded and drove off as Hiro entered the airport and headed for the elevators to the international departure lobby. He patted the side of his jacket as the elevator door closed, knowing full well there would be no coming back from this.

* * *

"This is Chiba checking in. No sign of Rui or Kaori."

"This is Shiratori. Nothing on my end."

"Sato here. Nothing to report."

"Takagi. No sign of them."

Kogoro let out a frustrated sigh as he peered over the top of his newspaper at the slowly increasing crowd of travelers entering the check-in counter lines. American Airlines was nowhere to be found among the aisles in front of him, but this was the side he'd chosen, and he was determined to ride it out. A couple of travelers glanced his way as they walked to their destination, and Kogoro put his eyes right back in the newspaper. A few seconds of reading later, he peeked back over the brim and saw a familiar sight. Standing off to his left was a figure dressed completely in black, their face hidden by a mask, a hat, and a pair of sunglasses. Kogoro eyed them up and down, comparing the figure to the perp who tried to kidnap Rui in the shoe store. They were roughly the same build, same height, and even wore the same clothes.

_That's gotta be the same perp._

Kogoro waited until the figure had passed him by before he pulled out his walkie-talkie. "This is Kogoro. Anybody copy?"

"Megure here. Go ahead, Mouri."

"Just wanted to give you a heads-up. I think the person that tried to kidnap Rui on Sunday is here. They just rounded the corner, and they're heading to the north wing. Did you hear that, Eri?"

"Loud and clear. What do they look like?"

"All black clothes, a trenchcoat, sunglasses, a facemask and a hat. Can't miss 'em." Kogoro began to follow the suspect's path as he asked, "Where are you right now, Eri?"

"I'm right across from the American Airlines check-in line. No sign of Kaori or Rui yet, but..." Eri's voice trailed off as she noticed a woman in a bright red dress walk into the airport through the nearby doors. Three giant suitcases followed her, wheeled in by a pair of valets and sent down the luggage conveyor to their appropriate destination. It was nothing out of the ordinary, but then another valet came in holding the hand of a tired, bleary-eyed little girl in a blue dress. He approached the woman in red and said something to her, and she took the girl's hand in hers and walked towards the check-in counter. Eri narrowed her eyes and adjusted her glasses to get a better look at the duo, and the proud, triumphant glare on the woman's face was unmistakable. And for that matter, so was the sad, defeated expression on the little girl's. Eri's heart began to pound as she picked up her walkie-talkie.

"Megure?"

"Yes?"

"I've got them."

"Stay where you are, Kisaki-sama. Chiba, Sato-get to the north wing departure counter right now!"

"On it, sir!" The detectives left their posts in the airport mall and ran towards the north wing, where they encountered Kogoro and accompanied him to the same location. He greeted the duo with a curt nod as he kept his eyes on the black-clad perp in front of him, ready to pounce at any moment. On the far east side of the building, an elevator arrived at the fourth floor and Hiro Maeda stepped off of it, glancing around to get his bearings. When he looked to his left, he saw the logo for American Airlines at the end of a nearby aisle, and the rage built within him as he slipped his hand into his coat and began to walk towards the check-in counter. Kaori stood at the counter with Rui next to her, unaware of the goings-on behind her as she prepared to check in to her flight.

"Good morning, ma'am," the clerk said as he stood in front of his computer.

"It _is_ a good morning," Kaori replied with a triumphant smile. "My daughter and I have had a blast visiting Japan, but it's time for us to go home."

"Of course. Let me just see your confirmation number and your ID's, and we'll get started." Kaori reached into her brand-new purse and pulled out the receipt for the tickets, as well as the phony passports and ID cards. The clerk glanced over them and his eyes widened slightly when he read the names on the documents. "Could you excuse me for just one second, ma'am?"

"Sure." The clerk took the documents with him and retreated to a nearby office, closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, the black-clad figure began to walk faster as they approached the counter, with Kogoro, Sato and Chiba keeping pace. The trio could see that Rui was standing on Kaori's left, leaving her a wide open target. The perp saw that as well, and their brisk walk turned into a run as they stormed up to the counter and, in one quick, smooth motion, crouched down and grabbed Rui. A flash of black caught Kaori's eye, as did Rui's scream, and she whipped around to see her daughter being kidnapped right in front of her eyes. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-"

She was met with a swift, hard backhand from the perp, knocking her to the floor. At that point, the trio of detectives had broken into a full-on run, with Eri joining them as they made a mad dash towards the suspect. Sato grabbed her walkie-talkie and yelled, "WE HAVE A KIDNAPPING! I REPEAT, WE HAVE A KIDNAPPING! GET SECURITY AT EVERY EXIT RIGHT NOW!" The perp paid them no mind and instead concentrated on the lone obstacle in front of them-Hiro Maeda. He pulled his hand out of his coat, crouched into a tackling position and ran full speed at the perp, diving at their legs. However, the perp saw it coming and side-stepped the flying man, leaving him to grab nothing but air as he landed on his stomach and rolled over. As Kogoro, Eri, Sato and Chiba ran past him, he narrowed his eyes and rose to his feet, tailing them in a desperate attempt to save his daughter.

The perp kicked open the door to the stairwell and headed down, hugging Rui to their chest as they reached the second floor. The parking garage was within reach as they exited into the arrival lobby, making their way towards the nearest exit. Behind them, Kogoro led the charge as Sato and Chiba positioned themselves behind him. Eri had removed her heels and was running in her bare feet, and Hiro kept his distance but still maintained a decent speed, keeping pace with everyone. Sato's order had not gone unnoticed, and a host of security guards converged on the scene, rushing to stop the perp in their tracks. Kaori stormed down the escalator and joined the fracas, an ugly red mark stretching across her face. When Hiro got a good look at it, it was all he could do not to laugh his ass off.

A pair of security officers charged at the perp, but a series of quick jukes left them in the dust. The chase continued into the central building, and when the perp reached the exit door leading to the parking garage, they saw a cadre of security officers and Detective Shiratori waiting for them. Takagi and Megure descended the escalator and made themselves part of the chase as the perp attempted to retreat back the way they came, only to stop when they saw the quintet in front of them. They attempted to go right, but a group of security officers stopped them. When they tried going left, the first thing they saw was Takagi and Megure blocking their path. They were trapped in a circle of police, security, and two very angry parents, and there was nowhere to run. Megure held out his hand and exclaimed, "You're surrounded! Put the girl down!"

"YOU GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER RIGHT NOW, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Kaori screamed. "GIVE ME MY GODDAMN DAUGHTER!"

"SHE'S _OUR_ DAUGHTER!" Hiro countered.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!"

"Oh, I don't know...I just came by to STOP YOU FROM KIDNAPPING OUR DAUGHTER!"

"YOU CRAZY SON OF A-"

Kogoro whirled on Hiro and Kaori and yelled, _"SHUT UP!_ BOTH OF YOU!" He turned back around to face the perp and ordered, "Surrender now and we'll go easy on you! I'm only gonna ask you this once-put the girl down, and take off the mask! It's over!"

The perp looked around, taking stock of the scene before them. _I guess I have no choice._ They sighed and placed Rui on the ground, allowing her to run into Sato's arms as the perp stood straight up and removed their disguise. When their face was revealed, the blood drained from Kaori's face as she stammered, "D...d..._DAD?!"_

Hiro narrowed his eyes and growled, _"Satoshi."_ Kogoro's jaw hung as wide open as his eyes, and Eri put her hands to her face and gasped. Satoshi asked, "Why do you look so surprised, Kaori? Did you really think no one would find out about your little plan?" She stood rooted to the floor, stammering in shock as Satoshi stalked up to her and said, "A friendly bit of advice: when you're trying to do something illegal, don't leave the evidence where your mother and I could find it."

Kaori's eyes brimmed with tears as she choked out, "Wh...why, dad? Why are you doing this to me?"

That question set off a fire in Satoshi's eyes as he exclaimed, "To _you?!_ TO _YOU?!_ What about _Rui?!_ What the hell are you two doing to _her?!"_ He pointed at both Hiro and Kaori and said, "Six years! You've had _six years_ to shape up and grow up, but have either of you done it? NO! All you've done is made that little girl's life a living hell!"

"How?" Kaori asked. "In what possible way-"

"IN _EVERY_ WAY!" Satoshi thundered. "The fights! The arguments! The constant bribery with gifts and toys and trips and all sorts of other things! Do you have any idea how many times Rui has told us how afraid she is of you?!"

Those words cut through Hiro and Kaori like a scythe as Satoshi continued. "Do you know how many times she's cried herself to sleep? How many times she's asked us when you two are going to take care of her? How many times she's asked us _why you don't love her?!"_

"What...when...when did she say..." Hiro stammered, not believing what he'd just heard.

"Cut the bullshit, Hiro," Satoshi countered as he rolled his eyes. "You two have done nothing-NOTHING-over the past six years to prove that you're worthy of taking care of Rui. I mean, faking abuse injuries?! Trying to _kidnap_ her and take her overseas so we'd never see her again?!"

"You're one to talk about kidnapping when you're doing the same thing," Kaori countered.

"The difference between you and me is that I was trying to do it out of _love!_ Can you really stand there, look me in the eyes, and say you did _this_ out of love?" Kaori opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Her eyes widened and she hung her head, knowing that her father had her beat.

"I thought so," Satoshi spat. "You don't care about Rui at all. All you care about is Hiro and Kaori Maeda. Rui should have been your wake-up call...but you both chose to stay asleep. _Neither_ of you deserve to be her parents." He walked back into the middle of the circle and crouched down, motioning for Rui to come over to him. Sato let her go and she ran to her grandfather and gave him a big hug, which he returned in kind. He let her go so they were face to face, and he said, "I'm so sorry it had to come to this, Rui. I love you...with all of my heart."

"I love you too, grandpa."

"I know what I did was wrong, and I'm willing to take responsibility for it." He glared directly at Hiro and Kaori as he said, "But you should never underestimate what a person will do to protect someone they love." Hiro began to shake with anger as Satoshi stood up and placed his hands behind his back, staring at the crowd before him. As he waited for the handcuffs to be placed on his wrists, he turned to Kogoro and said, "Thank you for all your help, Mouri-sama."

Mouri said nothing, but gave him a brief, understanding nod. Takagi stepped forward and formally placed Satoshi under arrest, cuffing his wrists and leading him out of the circle with Rui following them. Hiro watched his daughter grab his father-in-law's hand as he was led away, and it was at that moment that everything snapped within him. _Kaori tries taking my daughter away...her dad tries taking my daughter away..._

_No._

_NO._

_She belongs with ME._

And that was when he made his move. Blind fury was in his eyes as he reached into his coat pocket and whipped out his pistol, taking aim at Satoshi.

_**"DIE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"**_

As soon as he pulled out the weapon, several of the security guards screamed _"GUN!"_ and charged at him. Others dropped to the floor or took cover, and a series of panicked screams could be heard from the few travelers in the lobby. Although several guards got close, there was nobody closer to Maeda than Kogoro Mouri. Hiro only got as far as deactivating the safety before Kogoro grabbed him from behind and body-slammed him on the ground, knocking the gun out of his hand. Unfortunately, the force of the impact triggered the gun, and a shot rang out. The noise echoed through the terminal as Takagi jumped in front of Satoshi and Rui, acting as a human shield. He stood rigid for ten seconds before he realized he hadn't been hit, and he turned to Satoshi and exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Rui, are you okay?" The reply he got was a series of shocked gasps as he looked to his right and saw his worst nightmare made manifest. Rui was lying facedown on the floor, blood staining the back of her blue dress. Takagi screamed in horror and tore the garment open, exposing Rui's back and discovering an entry wound on her right side, in close proximity to her lungs. He checked her chest for an exit wound and found none, but that changed nothing as he pressed his hands to Rui's back to stop the bleeding.

_"SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULANCE! NOW!"_


	11. Collapse

FRIDAY, 10:40 AM

The ambulance ride to Japanese Red Cross Narita Hospital had been an absolute nightmare. Satoshi, Takagi, Eri and Kogoro had all piled into the rear of the vehicle, doing the best they could to stay out of the way of the EMTs as they worked on Rui. An oxygen mask covered her face and a bag of saline flowed into her veins as the little girl lay on her right side, allowing one of the EMTs to keep pressure on the wound. Takagi uncuffed Satoshi's wrists, and as soon as they were free, he grabbed Rui's hand and began praying as agonized tears spilled from his eyes. Kogoro and Eri held each other's hands as they tried to avert their eyes, but it was impossible. Rui's face was turned towards them, and for a split second, they saw the face of their daughter appear in a shared moment of grief. Kogoro shut his eyes and buried his face in his hands as Eri audibly wept into his shoulder, both of them rocked to the core by the sight.

A pair of police cars tailed the ambulance to the hospital-Megure, Sato and Kaori were in one, and Chiba, Shiratori and Hiro were in the other. Not a word was spoken in either car as they maneuvered through traffic, every occupant still reeling from the events at the airport. Both Hiro and Kaori remained uncharacteristically silent, but whether it was out of guilt or anger at being caught was up in the air. When the ambulance finally arrived at the hospital, Hiro and Kaori burst out of their respective vehicles and ran to Rui's side as they wheeled her in. Takagi forced his way between them to keep them apart, but still allowing them to keep their daughter company. However, one glance between Satoshi and the Maedas was enough to turn his stomach; Satoshi was hysterical, praying to every god and deity he could think of to help his granddaughter. Hiro and Kaori, however, had zero emotion on their faces. No tears, no grief, nothing. Takagi gritted his teeth in anger as they entered the hospital, where a team of doctors was waiting. With a nod and a "We'll take it from here," the team took the stretcher down the hall and headed for the operating rooms.

That was six hours ago.

It felt like an eternity had passed in that duration, but a glance at the clock proved otherwise. Kogoro tapped his feet relentlessly as he glared across the room at the Maedas, who were kept apart by Shiratori and Megure. Emi had arrived at the hospital an hour after they did, and she was seated next to Satoshi, hugging him and joining him in his vigil. Chiba and Sato were attempting to pass the time by reading some magazines, but to no avail-they only got a few pages in before the weight of the situation hit them once again, and they dropped the periodicals onto the table in frustration. Eri walked back in with two cans of soda, giving one to Kogoro as she sat down beside him and cracked hers open. The noise elicited zero reaction from anyone else in the room as Kogoro absently opened his and set the can on the table without a word. He retreated back into his thoughts and stared at the floor, and it wasn't long before he'd zoned completely out and lost track of time. In fact, he was so out of it that it took Eri jostling him back to attention to notice the doctor that had walked into the room. Kogoro let out a startled cry and rose to his feet as the doctor began to speak.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long. Let me just start off by saying, you're lucky you got Rui here when you did. The bullet perforated her pleural cavity, collapsed her lung, and lodged in one of her ribs."

"Did it penetrate the lung?" Eri asked.

"Thankfully, no. When the cavity was perforated, the collapse was almost immediate. We were able to remove the bullet with no long-term damage to the rib, but since there were two perforations, we had to perform surgery. It was a delicate process, but we were able to patch up the holes in the cavity with no issues."

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief as the doctor continued. "We inserted a chest tube just to be on the safe side, and we'll be keeping a close eye on her over the next few days. She just got moved from the PACU to her own room, so you can visit her now. Follow me."

The group followed the doctor from the waiting room to the patient wing on the same floor, eventually arriving at room 204. Hiro, Kaori, Satoshi and Emi entered the room first and were greeted by the devastating sight of an unconscious little girl with tubes up her nose and IVs in her arm. A large tube ran out of her side into an assembly on the floor, which prevented air from flowing back into the wound. Satoshi and Emi grabbed a chair each and carried them to Rui's bedside as Hiro and Kaori stood against the wall. The remaining sextet entered the room and were heartbroken at the state Rui was in, none more so than Kogoro and Eri. All the effort they had put into keeping her safe...for nothing. Kogoro clenched his fists and walked to the window as Hiro and Kaori approached the foot of the bed and stared at their daughter. The gentle, loving gestures Satoshi and Emi performed-gently stroking her hair and holding her hand-were immediately offset when Kaori declared, "This is all your fault!"

_"Excuse me?"_ Satoshi demanded as he rose from his seat.

"You heard me! My daughter is lying there because of _you!_ Why the hell couldn't you two mind your own goddamn business?!"

The sheer audacity of her statement appalled the entire room, with shocked glares appearing on everyone's faces as Kogoro's anger built ever higher. "She's not _your_ kid, so stop acting like she is! She belongs to _me,_ and no one else!"

"Oh, _fuck you,_ Kaori!" Hiro got in her face and screamed, "If she belongs with anyone, it's _me!_ You and your dad both tried to kidnap her...shit, as far as I'm concerned, that balances out what I did!"

"HOW?!" Emi exclaimed. "How does faking abuse injuries even compare with what my husband tried to do?! Are you gonna stand there and say you did that out of _love?"_

"You're goddamned right!" Eri looked at Kogoro and could see he was shaking with rage, trying in vain to bite his tongue. His eyes were wide, his teeth were clenched, and angry grunts could be heard emanating from his throat. "And as for the two of you," Kaori spat as she motioned to Eri and Kogoro, "if _you_ assholes hadn't gotten involved, my daughter would be perfectly fine right now! You had _no right whatsoever_ to stick your noses in our business!"

"That's the first time I've agreed with you in years, Kaori!" Hiro exclaimed. "Who the hell do you two think you are? This is a family matter that deserves to be solved by her _family,_ not some self-righteous detective and a fucking lawyer! Where do you get off-"

**"SHUT THE **_**FUCK**_** UP!"**

Any other words they may have had died on their lips as everyone turned towards the source of the angry outburst: Kogoro. His face contorted in rage as he yelled, "What the hell is _wrong_ with you two?! Your daughter needs you now more than ever and you're seriously gonna do this in front of her?! Haven't you selfish assholes done enough?!"

"How can you say that?" Kaori demanded. "Everything I've done has been for my daughter's sake! I've had _nothing_ but her best interests at heart-" Her stubborn refusal to admit her culpability sent Kogoro over the edge, and he cut her off with a thunderous yell of, _"BULLSHIT!_ Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining! The only interests _either of you_ had at heart were your own! You were both more concerned about hurting each other than you _ever_ were about Rui, so stop lying to yourselves-_neither of you_ give a shit about her! Aside from the shoe store and the police station, I haven't heard either of you call her by her name _one goddamned time_ since we met! It's almost like she doesn't fucking exist, except when you need her to!"

Eri stood dumbfounded at the scene before her, thinking, _My God. I can't believe he's the one saying this._ Satoshi and Emi's faces were a mixture of shock, relief and pride, and everyone could only watch as Kogoro's harangue began to pick up steam.

"Who the hell do _you two_ think you are? Using your daughter, your own flesh and blood, something that you created out of _love,_ as a tool of _hate?_ I know that sometimes the love dies off and it doesn't work out, but that's no excuse to do what you did! There's _never_ an excuse!" Hiro tried to say something in his defense, but he was cut off before he even got a word out. "NO! You don't get to talk! All I've heard from either of you is how much you hate each other, and look where that got you! If you really loved your daughter as much as you say you do, we wouldn't be here! _SHE_ wouldn't be here! This right here," he said as he pointed to Rui's unconscious form, "is _your_ fault! Not mine, not Eri's, not Satoshi's, not Emi's! _YOURS!_ If the only thing that your daughter brought out of you was spite, _you shouldn't have fucking had her!"_

Eri gasped in shock as Kogoro took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. It was only partially successful, however, as he still shook with rage as he finished his speech. "I'm not a lawyer. But if you want my legal advice, you should stick together. You miserable bastards deserve each other." The Maedas were too shocked to respond as Kogoro grabbed his coat and started for the door. Eri called out his name and grabbed hold of his shoulder, only for him to shrug her off and whip the door open. She ran to the open space and watched him storm down the hall with worry in her eyes. "Kogoro..."

Megure shook his head in resignation and motioned for Takagi and Sato to make the arrest. The Maedas offered no resistance as their hands were cuffed behind their backs and the duo led them out to a squad car. Kaori went in the back first, followed by Hiro as the detectives climbed into the front. Takagi started the engine, then turned around and glared at the Maedas through the protective glass.

"I hope you two are proud of yourselves," he spat in disgust. All Hiro and Kaori could do was hang their heads in shame as Takagi put the car in drive and headed towards the police station.

* * *

Kogoro's path led him back to the main entrance of the hospital, and he walked through the automatic doors leading outside. Once the fresh air hit him, he headed for the smoking area and pulled a cigarette out of the pack in his shirt pocket while fumbling for his lighter. The adrenaline still flowed through his veins as he tried to light the cigarette, and his right hand was shaking too hard to get a decent grip. Kogoro cursed under his breath and sat at a nearby table, trying to calm himself down. The opening of a car door turned his attention to the police cruiser parked outside the emergency entrance, and he watched as the Maedas were loaded into the back. He allowed himself a small, satisfied grin as he returned to his cigarette, this time lighting it with little effort and taking a long, slow drag. Smoke trailed from his mouth as his mind began to wander, and it wandered straight into a memory that Kogoro never wanted to relive, but at the same time, couldn't forget even if he tried. The weight of the memory brought tears to his eyes with such force that they blinded him, and after he dragged the sleeve of his jacket across his face, he was more than a bit surprised to see Eri sitting across from him, sick with worry. "Kogoro...what _was _that? I've _never_ seen you get so-"

"The cherry blossom festival."

Eri raised her eyebrow in confusion and asked, "What do you mean, 'the cherry blossom festival?'"

Kogoro sniffled and said, "Do you remember...when Ran was six, and she wanted to go to the cherry blossom festival in Kyoto?"

"I do," Eri replied. "She said she wanted to see the pretty flowers on the big trees. That was all she talked about for months."

"We told her that we'd all go together if she brought home a good report card," Kogoro added, smiling at the memory. "When she brought it home that day, sure enough, it was a good report card, and she got so excited when we said yes. You bought the tickets to the festival, I bought the train tickets, everything was set..."

"And then we split up." Eri's observation caused the smile to vanish from Kogoro's face. He nodded and said, "Yeah. But Ran wanted us to go together, as a family. So we did. We were having a good time..."

"Until you got drunk."

Kogoro shuddered at the reminder. "And then I started making a total ass of myself. Just...getting loud and obnoxious, like I always do. You lost your temper and started screaming at me in front of God and everybody, and I started screaming back. I can't for the life of me remember what was said, but...people were staring at us, and Ran was just..." The words caught in his throat as Eri removed her glasses and wiped away her tears before finishing Kogoro's train of thought: "She was crying. And we didn't care."

"We ruined what should've been one of the best days of her life because we couldn't act like _fucking_ civilized adults!" Kogoro pounded his fist into the table and continued: "I remember the entire train ride back, we didn't say a thing to each other. Couldn't even look each other in the eyes. When we got off, I took Ran home and you went back to your apartment...and we didn't say a goddamn thing." He flicked the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out before asking, "But do you wanna know what I remember most about that day? The one thing that I've never forgotten, the one thing that still breaks my heart every time I think about it?"

"What's that?"

"Ran's face." He sniffed and wiped his eyes, saying, "I didn't think it was possible for a six year old kid to look so heartbroken. And not just heartbroken, but..."

"Disappointed." Eri finished Kogoro's train of thought once again as he looked back up to meet her gaze. "She didn't talk to either of us for two weeks."

"Can you blame her?"

"No...I can't. We really let her down." Eri hung her head as Kogoro stared at the pattern on the table. Both remained silent for a while until Kogoro said, "I'm sorry I brought that up, but...ever since I took on this case, I've been doing a lot of thinking. Honest to God, Eri, this whole experience was a nightmare. Every time those two screamed at each other, it felt like I was looking into a mirror."

"I know," she sighed in agreement. "I felt the exact same thing. In all the years I've been practicing law, I've never seen such hatred between two people."

"And do you know what the damnedest thing of all is?" Kogoro asked. "Ever since this whole thing started, I've been having visions of...of Ran when she was six. Every time I was about to do something stupid, there she was. Every time I tried to drink, there she was. I don't know if it was my conscience or..." Eri's eyes widened in shock at his revelation and she said, "The exact same thing happened to me."

"When did you see her?"

"She showed up in my apartment on Tuesday. Kaori tried convincing me to give up on you after I dropped her, and after I got home, Ran was right there. And it...it felt so _real."_

"That's because it _was_ real. And not only have I been seeing little Ran, I've been having nightmares. I mean, I told you about the dream I had, and..." Eri noticed Kogoro begin to tremble, and she reached out and held his hand. "It would've been so damned easy for us to go down that path after we split up. Why didn't we?"

"I honestly don't know," Eri replied. "We came close a few times-after all, you saw that restraining order."

"Don't remind me," Kogoro sighed. "We're better than them. I know we are. But..."

"But what?"

Kogoro let out a frustrated groan and declared, "It seems like almost every time I see you, we wind up at each other's throats. If we keep doing that, we're gonna end up losing more than our marriage. We're gonna lose Ran. I...I can't keep doing this."

Eri let out a small gasp of surprise and asked, "What are you saying, Kogoro?"

He gave another weary sigh and replied, "I'm _tired,_ Eri. I'm tired of feeling like a shit parent. I'm tired of feeling like a shit husband. I'm...I'm tired of walking on eggshells around you. Please, just...tell me what I need to do so that we can be a family again. Tell me what I have to do to make you trust me again." Kogoro pointed towards the hospital as fresh tears began to flow down his cheeks. "Because I don't want us to end up like them."

Eri placed her hands over his, gently rubbing them in a sign of affection. "Neither do I." Kogoro smiled and opened his fists, giving Eri the opportunity to hold his hands. She obliged as her husband asked, with complete sincerity, "Can we start over? Can you come home, Eri? Ran misses you." He swallowed hard and choked out the last three words. _"I_ miss you."

"Not yet..." Kogoro's face saddened upon hearing her response, but brightened up again upon hearing her conclusion. "...but I'd be more than happy to help you." Kogoro sat up straight with a relieved sigh and said, "Just tell me what I need to do, Eri, and I'll do it. I am but a blank slate." She reached into her purse and pulled out a brochure, handing it to her husband. His eyes widened as he read through it, and he asked, "Are you sure? This is a pretty big step."

"And it's one you need to take. If you can get through this, you can get through anything."

"And you've been carrying this around for the last ten years, just in case?" Eri chuckled and replied, "I saw this in the waiting room. If you're serious about getting better..."

"As a heart attack." Kogoro sniffled and added, "A journey of a thousand miles, right?"

"Exactly." He grinned and added, "Hey, I can help you too, if you want. After all, I _am_ a master detective."

"Don't ruin the moment, Kogoro," Eri responded with a sarcastic grin.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He placed the brochure in his pocket and walked back to the hospital entrance alongside Eri, but as they approached it, the doors opened to reveal Satoshi being led out in handcuffs by Megure, Chiba and Shiratori. His head was bowed as he walked to the remaining police cruiser, and the weary, sympathetic glares on the detectives' faces signaled that they understood his motivation, but at the same time, that they had a job to do. Kogoro and Eri could do nothing but watch as they climbed into the car and drove off towards the police station.

* * *

2:30 PM

Kogoro walked up the steps to the Mouri Detective Agency, opened the door and walked into his office. When he turned on the lights, he collapsed into his chair and opened the top right drawer of his desk, pulling out the photo of him, Eri and Ran at the park. The memory of Ran's excitement replayed in his head as he stared at the photo and began to laugh, but the weight of what had happened caused that laughter to turn to tears. Kogoro's face contorted in sadness as small drops of water stained the photograph, and he balled up his free hand in a fist and put it to his mouth to stifle the sobs. It was unsuccessful, as a loud cough gave way to devastated sobbing as he put his head down on the desk and buried his face in his arms. _Why the fuck did it have to turn out like this? Why? WHY?!_

He raised his head and opened the mini fridge, but when he reached in to pull out a can of beer, he remembered he'd wasted all of it reacting to his nightmare. There was a spare bottle of water available, however, and he slugged it down in one go. Kogoro turned the TV on to try and drown out the memories of what he'd seen, but they were too strong and too disturbing to forget. He shut his eyes as tight as he could, breathing heavily and pounding on the desk with his fists. The TV made it even worse, as the local news gave an update on what had happened at the airport that morning. Kogoro turned the TV off with a sad, weary groan as he glanced at the door and saw the knob turning. When it opened, Ran stood in the doorway with her eyes full of sympathy and her face full of shock.

"Oh my God! Dad, I heard about what happened! Are you okay?" Kogoro said nothing as she entered the office, instead merely looking at his teenage daughter. The thing he and Eri had created out of love seventeen years ago. Their reason for being.

"Dad, can you hear me? Are you-" Kogoro responded to her question by running to her and enveloping her in a massive hug, the warmth of which Ran hadn't felt since she was a little girl. As she returned his embrace, she felt small teardrops hit her shoulder as Kogoro rocked her back and forth, saying, "I love you, Ran. I love you always and forever. Please...don't ever forget that."

"Never," she responded as tears welled in her eyes. _"Never."_ Father and daughter remained embraced as Conan walked into the office and shut the door behind him, asking, "Ran-neechan, why are you and uncle crying? Did something happen?"

Ran broke the embrace and knelt down in front of him, wiping her eyes. "Conan-kun...I think you should sit down." An uneasy feeling was in the boy's gut as he did so, and Kogoro said, "Your friend Rui...she's in the hospital." His voice began to break as he added, "She got shot at the airport...I stopped Maeda from firing, but the impact triggered the gun, and..."

Ran hugged him again and assured him with a gentle, "It's not your fault, dad. It's okay. It's not your fault."

"Tell that to my conscience," Kogoro said as he wiped his eyes. Conan's jaw quivered and his eyes glistened with tears as he jumped off the chair and hugged the both of them, wrapping his arms as far as he could around their legs. "Is...is it okay if I go see her, uncle?"

"You'll have to have the professor take you," Kogoro said. "I'm sorry, Conan, but...I just can't see Rui in that condition again."

"I understand." Conan wiped his eyes and picked up the phone.

* * *

5:00 PM

Agasa held a small bouquet of flowers in his hands as he and the Detective Boys walked down the hospital corridor. What would normally be a din of good-natured conversation was instead a deafening silence, with no one even attempting to speak. Genta stared straight ahead, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi were audibly sniffling, and Haibara showed no emotion, but Conan could tell that she was barely holding on-she would shake for a few seconds and then regain her composure just as quickly. He put his hand on her shoulder for comfort, and when she looked back at Conan, he gave her a slight smile and mouthed the words, "It'll be okay." Haibara nodded as the group reached Rui's room, with Agasa knocking on the door. The call was answered by Emi Ishida, who asked, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes, ma'am. My name is Hiroshi Agasa, and I've brought some of Rui's friends here to see her. Can we come in?"

"Oh, of course. She woke up from her anesthesia about an hour ago, so she might still be a little woozy."

"Anesthesia?" Mitsuhiko exclaimed. "What happened?" His question was answered as the sextet entered the room and saw Rui laid up in her bed, an ugly clear tube running from her side to the floor assembly. Shinichi recognized the severity of her injury right away as he thought, _A collapsed lung. God damn you, Hiro._ Genta and Mitsuhiko let out simultaneous gasps of horror and Ayumi began to cry, burying her face in Agasa's pant leg. He led her out of the room and into the hallway, sitting against the wall and hugging her to calm her down. Haibara shook her head in sadness as the remaining group approached Rui's bedside, and while she was able to recognize them through her post-anesthesia haze, her voice was thin and tired as she said, "Oh...the Detective Boys..."

"Hi, Rui-chan," Haibara said with a weak smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay...but I just woke up from a long nap, so...I'm sorry if I don't feel like talking..."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Genta said as he wiped his eyes. "You don't have to apologize for anything. We understand."

"Yeah," Mitsuhiko added. "We're all happy you're still alive."

"As am I," Emi said as she sat down beside Rui and held her hand. "I don't know what I would've done if you didn't pull through, dear. I love you so, so much."

"Thanks, grandma." Although she was happy to see Emi's smiling face, the absence of Satoshi's was not lost on her. "Wh...where's grandpa? Is he..."

Emi bowed her head and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rui, but...your grandfather is at the police station. They...arrested him for trying to kidnap you. And they should have arrested me too...because I helped him." The Detective Boys gasped as Emi said, "I was the getaway driver on Sunday, and I was waiting for you in the parking garage at the airport. When your grandfather called and told me what happened, I came straight here."

The only thing Rui could do was ask, "But...why, grandma? Why would you do something like that?"

"Because...you deserve people who care about you. You deserve to be loved. Did you ever feel that with your mommy and daddy?" Rui thought about that for a long time before she frowned and replied, "...No. No, I didn't."

Conan shook his head and said, "That doesn't excuse what you two did. I understand that you love her; anyone could see that. But two wrongs don't make a right."

"I know," Emi sighed. "But desperation makes people do crazy things."

"Be that as it may, what happens if Satoshi is put in jail? What if he names you as an accomplice?"

"We had countless discussions about that, and every time, he said to tell the police that I was forced to participate. He never cared about the jail time. All he cared about was keeping Rui safe." Emi held her granddaughter's hand and said, "When you love someone, you'd do anything to keep them from harm. You're still young, but when you get older, you'll meet someone who will change the way you see things...even the way you see yourself. And when you do find that person and you discover just how much they mean to you, you'll understand why Satoshi and I did what we did."

Emi's words had a profound effect on Conan as he stood before her, unable to speak. It was as if she'd seen through his disguise and discovered his true identity. His voice quavered as he replied, "Thanks for letting us visit. Get well soon, Rui."

"Thank you, Conan-kun." He nodded and put his hands in his pockets, not making eye contact with anyone as he left the hospital room and headed for the small bathroom just down the hall. He locked the door upon entering and pulled out his cellphone, cycling through the pictures until he found one of Ran. Her smiling face brought one to his as he stared at the photo and thought, _I do have someone, Emi...and I do understand. I guess you and I aren't so different._

Conan removed his glasses and wiped his eyes before he exited the bathroom and saw Haibara standing outside the door. Her face was full of concern as she asked, "Are you okay, Kudo-kun?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure? You look like you've been crying."

"Nah, nothing like that. Just got something in my eye, that's all." Haibara caught a glimpse of the picture of Ran on his screen as Conan put it back in his pocket and thought to herself, _You're a terrible liar, Kudo-kun._ He joined her as they headed back to the professor and their friends when he heard his phone chirp the familiar sound of a received message. When he pulled the phone from his pocket to see what it was, his jaw dropped and his eyes blazed with fury. "You've gotta be _kidding _me!"

"What? What happened?"

"The Maedas pleaded not guilty!"

Haibara's jaw dropped as she said, "You've gotta be kidding me."


	12. Trials

MONDAY, MAY 1, 12 PM

Kogoro gritted his teeth in irritation as he sat in the gallery of Courtroom 2 in the Tokyo District Court building. The Maedas sat at the defendants' table just ahead of him with confident grins on their faces as they waited for the trial to begin. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to his right to face Eri. "It's okay, dear," she said. "This should be a quick trial. All the evidence proves their guilt, not to mention you had a room full of witnesses to Rui's 'injuries' and the kidnapping attempt."

Kogoro nodded and replied, "I know...but I'm worried about Satoshi. I mean, you know how high Japan's conviction rate is. It's not like he doesn't have a chance, but 99 percent is a damn high hurdle to clear."

"That makes two of us," Emi said as she stuck her head around Eri's body to face Kogoro. "I don't know what I'll tell Rui if that's the case."

"Speaking of Rui, how's she doing?"

"They took the tube out on Thursday, and she's due to be released on Wednesday. She's a fighter, that's for sure."

"She had to be, considering who raised her," Kogoro grumbled. "Let's just hope Satoshi gets the benefit of the doubt."

"Well, his case is right after this one, so we'll just have to wait and see," Eri replied. Kogoro grunted and motioned to the Maedas, observing, "I've never seen those two so well-behaved. Where's their lawyer?"

"They opted to defend themselves," Eri replied with a roll of her eyes. "And their grave gets ever deeper," Kogoro cracked with a sarcastic grin.

"All we have to do is wait for them to fall in," Eri said. A few minutes passed before the bailiff came into the room and announced, "All rise for the Honorable Judge Kenta Yagami!" The occupants followed his instructions as Judge Yagami, a middle-aged man with a stern face and piercing blue eyes, sat down at the bench as the bailiff approached and handed him the court docket. Yagami thanked the bailiff and motioned for everyone to sit, and once they did, he turned to the Maedas and asked, "Is your lawyer late?"

"Actually, we decided to represent ourselves," Kaori said with a phony smile. "We don't want anything distorted or exaggerated by some crackpot." She turned around and glared at Eri, who returned her stare without flinching. Yagami narrowed his eyes and asked, "Have either of you ever heard the saying that a person who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client?"

"Can't say that I have," Hiro replied. Yagami merely stared him down and asked, "Do you have an opening statement prepared?"

"An...opening statement?" Kaori asked as she shot Yagami a nervous glance.

"Yes. The floor is yours." She glanced at Hiro with a look of worry, one that he returned in kind as they both rose to their feet. Kaori ran her hands through her hair, glanced down and said, "We...don't have one prepared."

"I see. Regardless of your lack of preparation, we have more important things to worry about. I would like to begin by calling Eri Kisaki to the stand."

Eri got up from her seat and approached the bench, where the bailiff swore her in before she took her seat. When she did, Yagami asked, "Would you state your name and occupation for the record, please?"

"Eri Kisaki, lawyer."

"I understand you were the lawyer that the defendants hired for their divorce proceedings; is that true?"

"Yes," she replied. "They hired me in mid-March, and right from the get-go, they were combative, verbally abusive and oftentimes came within a breath of physically attacking each other. It got to the point where I had to arrange to meet with the defendants separately."

"In the time they were your clients, did they ever mention anything about Rui?"

"Not once," Eri said as she glared at the Maedas with contempt. "They never called her by her name once; they always referred to her as 'my daughter' or 'our daughter.'"

"Were you able to draft a divorce agreement?"

"I was, and I have a copy with me." Eri handed it to the bailiff, who in turn handed it to Yagami. "If you'll turn to page two, you'll see the custody arrangements." The judge did so and remarked, "Zero visitation rights for and a restraining order against Hiro Maeda. And I also see his signature. Why on earth would he sign off on this?"

"He didn't. Kaori forged his signature." Across the aisle, Kaori clenched her fists in anger as Hiro glared at her, his face angry but his eyes shocked and astonished. "I also brought copies of other forms containing Hiro's actual signature." She handed them to the bailiff, and when they were in Yagami's hands, he studied the hiragana and said, "I see a small line jutting out to the right on the top character."

"Exactly," Eri replied. "The signature on the divorce agreement lacks that characteristic." Yagami compared and contrasted the signatures and replied, "Indeed it does. What happened after you found this out?"

"I dropped them as clients immediately."

"Thank you, Kisaki-san. Nothing further." Eri returned to her seat, shooting the Maedas a smug grin as she walked past the defendants' table. They could do nothing but stew as Yagami said, "I take it by your reaction you didn't know about this, Hiro-san."

"I didn't," he replied. "But I can't say I'm surprised. She's done everything in her power to keep our daughter away from me-"

"Because you're a fucking deadbeat!" Kaori exclaimed. "You should be in jail for what you did to her!"

"And so should you! She belongs with me!"

"The hell she does!"

"ENOUGH!" Yagami banged his gavel and ordered, "If I hear one more outburst from either of you, I'll hold you in contempt! Do you understand?!"

"Yes, Your Honor," the Maedas meekly replied.

"Good. Now _sit down."_ They followed his instructions as he called Kogoro to the stand. After he was sworn in and stated his name and occupation, Yagami asked, "How did you become involved in this case, Mouri-san?"

"I met Hiro and Rui at a shoe store. We talked for a little while and then we went our separate ways. However, someone tried to kidnap her and we both gave chase. We lost the perp, but we recovered Rui safe and sound. Normally, any father would be overjoyed at this, but not Hiro."

"How so?"

"After Rui was recovered, he became furious. He started screaming that his wife was the one behind the kidnapping attempt, and that he was gonna pay her a visit. I called Rui's grandparents and had them pick her up at the shoe store, and then I went straight to my wife's office. When I got there, the defendants were being physically restrained from attacking each other by my daughter Ran and my wife. My appearance distracted them, and they broke free by physically attacking my family." Kogoro coughed and glared at the Maedas as he said, "Twice after that, Hiro came to my detective agency trying to convince me to take the case, and I refused both times. The second time, he had the audacity to walk my daughter home from school. When they got to my office, I restrained him and checked his pockets...and I found a loaded gun." Hiro sank into his chair and buried his face in his hands as Yagami asked, "Did he use it on your daughter?"

"Ran insisted he didn't, but I couldn't take that chance. I met with Rui's grandparents soon after, and they told me about the troubles they'd had. They gave me this folder, and there's a whole host of police reports contained within." Kogoro handed it to the bailiff, and once it was in Yagami's hands, he cycled through the reports and said, "I see three accusations of spousal abuse filed over an eight month span."

"I also received an envelope that contained the cancelled plane tickets attached to those documents," Kogoro said. "If you take a look at the dates the complaints were filed and the dates on the plane tickets..." Yagami did just that, and his eyes widened ever so slightly as he asked, "Who are Rebecca and Karen Murphy?"

"A pair of aliases that Kaori was planning to use to flee Japan with Rui. Here's some copies of the documentation she was going to use." All the blood drained from Kaori's face and she began to sweat through her dress as Yagami looked the evidence over. He shook his head and tucked them underneath the manila folder as Kogoro added, "After Hiro's deception was uncovered, he was given a thirty-day restraining order. That request was also made with the spousal abuse reports, and it was denied every time. With her husband out of the way, Kaori was going to kidnap her own daughter for no other reason than to spite him." A disgusted murmur cycled through the gallery as Yagami banged his gavel and demanded order. The Maedas sank lower and lower in their chairs as Kogoro said, "As a parent myself, the defendants' conduct disgusts me to no end. A child is supposed to bring them together, not drive them apart. That's why I fully support the efforts of Satoshi and Emi Ishida to adopt her as their own."

"Thank you, Mouri-san. You are dismissed." Kogoro nodded and returned to the gallery, not even bothering to waste his energy looking at the Maedas as he sat back down. Yagami glared at the defendants and asked, "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

The deafening silence from the pair caused the judge to sigh in resignation. "That's what I thought. I would now like to call Juzo Megure to the stand." On the opposite side of the gallery, the inspector stood up and approached the bench. After he was sworn in, Yagami said, "You were present when Hiro Maeda claimed Rui had been abused, is that correct?"

"That is correct, yes. On the morning of April 20, I received a phone call from Maeda-san claiming that his wife had abused their child in the time she had custody. He brought her into the police station around 8:30, and he was hysterical. He kept screaming that his wife had hit Rui over and over again, and we wound up putting him in an interrogation room to calm him down. One of my subordinates, Wataru Takagi, took pictures of Rui's bruises." Megure handed them to the bailiff, who visibly cringed at their contents before handing them to Yagami. Before the judge could speak, Hiro burst out of his seat and pleaded, "Can...can we have a recess?" The desperation in his voice was unmistakable, and Yagami replied, "After Megure-san is done testifying, we'll take a break." Hiro collapsed back into his chair, utterly devastated.

"We brought Kaori in for questioning and she was combative right from the start. We weren't getting anywhere, so we called Kogoro in to take a look. He talked to Hiro first, and he figured out that Rui's injuries were faked. The girl was asleep in Miwako Sato's office-"

"Who is Miwako Sato?"

"One of my subordinates. Rui had been asleep since they'd arrived, and by the time I got to Sato's office, she was awake. I told her about what her mom had done, and when I mentioned the bruises, she said, 'What bruises?'" A murmur rose from the gallery as Megure continued. "I exposed the wounds and took a wet towel to them, and the bruises washed right off her body. It was an impressive makeup job, but...the fact that Hiro used his talents for something so cruel, so heartless, just boggles my mind." Hiro, for his part, said nothing and put his head down on the desk, letting out an audible groan. "Thank you for your testimony, Megure-san. You may return to your seat."

"Thanks." As the inspector returned to the gallery, Yagami turned to the Maedas and asked, "Do you still desire a recess?" Kaori merely stared back at him and shook her head, knowing that the two of them were headed for a loss. She buried her head in her arms alongside Hiro as Yagami called Emi to the stand. After she was sworn in and stated her name, the judge asked, "I understand you have a videotaped statement from Rui?"

"That's correct." She handed her cellphone to the bailiff, who hooked it up to a digital projector. When he pressed play, the screen was filled with the picture of Rui Maeda in her hospital bed, and the sight of her sent murmurs through the gallery. Emi's voice was heard on screen as she asked, "Now, Rui, are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Yes, grandma. I'm sure."

"Okay. Say what you want to say." Rui sat up straight and began to speak, reading from a letter she held in her hands. "Mommy...daddy...I don't wanna come home with either of you." Her statement left Hiro and Kaori reeling as she continued to speak. "When I'm with you, I don't feel safe. I don't feel happy. And most of all, I don't feel _loved._ The last few days, you've shown just how little you care about me. You treated me like a toy...something for you to play with. All I wanted was for you two to stop fighting, but you made everything worse."

Hiro and Kaori were now completely broken as tears spilled from their eyes and their bodies convulsed with sobs. Onscreen, Rui continued to speak. "The only time I feel safe, and happy, and loved is when I'm with grandma and grandpa. I know that they can take care of me far better than you did. All those times you told me you loved me...now I know you were lying. I'm not your daughter anymore. I never was. I hate you, and I never want to see you again."

"Is that all, Rui?"

"Yeah. Thanks, grandma." The bailiff paused the video, filling the frame with Rui's smiling face as the Maedas collapsed to the floor. Kogoro and Eri couldn't help but roll their eyes as Yagami, equally unimpressed, ordered, "Knock it off! Pull yourselves together and get back in your seats!" Hiro and Kaori did as they were told as Emi was dismissed, and when she was back in the gallery, Yagami turned to the Maedas and said, "I believe that says it all right there. You had every chance to turn your behavior around in the six years Rui has been alive. You had every chance to act like adults and work things out. But you didn't." Yagami's eyes were ablaze as he maintained his outward composure, saying, "I don't blame that little girl one bit for not feeling safe around you two! If I was to release her into your custody, who's to say you wouldn't try something like this again? Quite frankly, your conduct over the course of your marriage, and _especially_ your conduct over that week in April, proves that you're not fit to take care of Rui. Therefore, I am terminating _both_ of your parental rights, effective immediately. I hereby award full custody of Rui Maeda to Satoshi and Emi Ishida." Emi let out a hard gasp of surprise and elation at the ruling, while Kogoro and Eri merely grinned in satisfaction. By now, the Maedas were shells of their former selves, with Hiro slouched in his chair and staring at the ceiling in complete defeat while Kaori screamed and wailed like a banshee. Yagami waited until her histrionics wound down before he continued his sentencing.

"Kaori Maeda, for the crime of attempted kidnapping, I'm sentencing you to 20 years in prison. Hiro Maeda, for the crimes of filing a false allegation of child abuse and obstruction of justice, I'm sentencing you to 15 years in prison. From this moment on, both of you are forbidden from having any contact whatsoever with either Rui or the Ishidas. No phone calls, no e-mails, no social media. You will stay twenty feet away from them at all times, and any violation will result in your immediate incarceration." The judge raised his head and glared at the Maedas with contempt as he said, "Congratulations! Your daughter hates you, your parents want nothing to do with you, and as for your divorce request, consider it _denied!_ You two got yourselves into this mess, and as far as I'm concerned, you can get yourselves out of it! I hope this was all worth it!" Yagami slammed his gavel down and declared, "Court is adjourned!"

Kaori's wailing filled the courtroom as scattered applause rang through the gallery. Everyone watched as a pair of officers cuffed the Maedas' hands behind their backs and led them away-Hiro's head was bowed as he shuffled towards the exit, but Kaori was writhing and screaming to the point where the officer had to physically drag her out with his arms hooked under her shoulders. Eri and Kogoro shook their heads at the pathetic display as the screaming woman was dragged out, and once the door closed, the courtroom began to empty. However, Emi remained in her seat as Kogoro and Eri did the same, each of them knowing that Satoshi's turn was next.

* * *

2:30 PM

Judge Yagami returned to the bench as Satoshi Ishida sat at the defendants' table. Emi sat directly behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder, a gesture that he returned by stroking her fingers with his thumb. Kogoro and Eri sat behind her in the gallery, eyes fixed on Satoshi as Yagami read through the court docket. "He looks like he's preparing himself for jail," Kogoro said with resignation. "I still can't believe he pleaded guilty."

"It was his best option for a reduced sentence," Eri replied. "He's doing what Hiro and Kaori _should've_ done."

"Don't ever mention those two again. They got what they deserved, and more." Eri nodded in agreement and added, "God forbid, but if Satoshi is put in jail, what's that gonna do to Rui and Emi?"

"I don't even wanna think about that," Kogoro sighed. "I just hope Yagami-sama sees that he did this for the _right_ reasons." He patted the side of his coat as the judge turned to face Satoshi and asked, "Would the defendant please rise?"

Ishida did as he was told as Yagami said, "Before I pass sentence, I would like to give you the opportunity to speak your piece. The floor is yours."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Satoshi took a drink of water, cleared his throat, and began. "The day that Rui was born was the greatest day of our lives. Emi and I had hoped and prayed for years to be grandparents, and when that day finally came, we were overjoyed. Hiro and Kaori were just as ecstatic as we were, if not more so. Unfortunately, in the months following her birth, their marriage deteriorated. Trust was replaced with jealousy. Appreciation was replaced with resentment. And most of all, love was replaced with spite."

"Emi and I constantly played the role of peacemaker as the fighting got worse, and it took a toll on not just us, but on Rui. It got to the point where we were calling the police on an almost nightly basis, and we couldn't take it anymore. We had no choice but to kick them out of our house. We had Rui stay with us as often as we could, and we made certain to show her the love, care and respect that her parents didn't. They used her as nothing more than a tool to inflict pain on each other...as a means to an end instead of as their child."

There was audible murmuring in the gallery as Satoshi continued to speak. "After we discovered the extent of her plan to kidnap our granddaughter, well...that was the breaking point. In my desperation, I concocted a plan of my own. I would kidnap Rui myself and take her far away from the hell she was living in. I would take her somewhere where she would be loved and cared for all her life. But now, thanks to her parents' selfishness, she's laid up in a hospital bed, and I can't do anything to help her. The week that I've spent in prison has torn me apart, Your Honor. Rui and Emi are the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last when I go to sleep. I can't bear to live my life without either of them by my side."

Yagami's face was expressionless, but his eyes radiated understanding as Satoshi concluded his statement with, "Desperation often makes people do things they normally wouldn't, and in my darkest hour, I resorted to this. I regret it, but I felt that I had no choice. I couldn't let my daughter tear Rui away from us. Whatever sentence you choose to pass, I will accept it. I know what I did was wrong, and I'm fully willing to pay the price. Thank you, Your Honor."

Satoshi returned to his seat as the gallery stirred with emotion. "That was a very heartfelt statement, Ishida-san," Yagami said with a slight smile. "However, there is one more person who would like to testify on your behalf. Mouri-san, if you would, please."

Kogoro nodded and approached the bench once again, pulling a piece of paper out of his coat pocket. Eri and Emi watched with intrigue as he sat in the witness box and cleared his throat. "My name is Kogoro Mouri. I'm a private detective by trade, and some of you may have seen me in the news from time to time. The one thing that struck me about Satoshi Ishida in the brief time I spent with him was his unwavering devotion to his granddaughter, Rui. As a parent myself, I completely understand his motivation for doing what he did. My daughter Ran sometimes accompanies me on cases that I work, and on occasion, there comes a time where life and limb are at risk. There have also been some instances where my daughter has been kidnapped or had her life threatened, and those are the hardest to handle. When someone you love is in trouble, _especially_ if it's your child, you would move heaven and earth to get them out of it. And I feel that's exactly what Satoshi was trying to do."

"I never felt one ounce of love from either Hiro or Kaori Maeda towards their daughter. In contrast, when I talked with the Ishidas at their house, Rui was there, and all they showed her was love, and care, and safety. Rui had _none_ of that with her parents, but _all_ of it with her grandma and grandpa. Satoshi Ishida made a mistake, but as far as I'm concerned, he had no choice. The light of his life was about to be extinguished, and he did everything possible to keep it lit. I don't agree with what Satoshi did...but I understand why he did it. He did it out of _love."_ Kogoro wiped his eyes and cleared his throat before concluding with: "That little girl deserves a fresh start. She deserves two people who won't scream and yell and pull her in different directions to spite the other. She deserves to be safe, and happy, and loved. She deserves her grandparents. That's all I have to say, Your Honor. Thank you."

Yagami nodded and motioned for Kogoro to return to the gallery. When he sat back down, the judge cleared his throat and requested for Satoshi to stand, which he obliged. Yagami looked straight into his eyes and said, "I think Mouri-san summed it up pretty well. You made a mistake, but you owned up to it. You have shown nothing but contrition and penitence the entire time you've been in my courtroom, which is more than I can say for your daughter and son-in-law. I feel that, at heart, you are a good, decent man who was forced into an unfortunate circumstance due to Hiro and Kaori's machinations. I also feel that you are extremely highly unlikely to re-offend, but the nature of your crime still requires some kind of sentence. Therefore, I hereby sentence you to time served, plus one year of probation. Your granddaughter is waiting for you. Go to her." Yagami slammed his gavel and declared, "Court is adjourned!"

Tears flowed down Satoshi's cheeks as Emi leapt over the guardrail and hugged him tight, crying into his chest. Kogoro pumped his fists in joy as Eri smiled with relief, and as the gallery emptied out, Satoshi and Emi followed them into the hall. When they caught sight of Kogoro, they ran up to him and enveloped him in a massive, grateful embrace that caught him off guard. He let out a hard gasp when they got a hold of him, but the grateful expressions on their faces let him know that this was out of appreciation. Kogoro smiled and returned the embrace, saying, "Congratulations, you two. You deserve this."

The trio stood there, arms locked, for a good solid minute before they broke the embrace. Emi wiped her eyes and said, "We are forever in your debt, Mouri-sama. Thank you so, so much."

"You don't have to thank me for anything," Kogoro replied. "It was your record keeping that brought them down. If not for that, who knows?"

"I just can't believe it's finally over," Satoshi said as he hugged Emi close. "I swear on my life...on _our_ lives...that Rui will have the best possible life she can."

"And she will. You guys get to the hospital." The Ishidas nodded in agreement and left the courthouse as Kogoro sat down next to Eri on a nearby bench. The pamphlet she'd given him at the hospital was still in his coat, and he pulled it out and dialed the number on the cover.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hi. My name is Kogoro Mouri. When is your next meeting?"

"We meet every Saturday at 12 noon in the Sunrise Room at the hospital. You're more than welcome to join us."

"I'll be there."


	13. Repair

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 9:30 AM

Kogoro Mouri rose to greet the day through a haze of tired eyes and blurred vision. He staggered to the bathroom and turned on the light, and once his eyes adjusted to the fluorescent glow, the reflection in the mirror revealed a pair of bleary eyes and a slight five o'clock shadow. A quick shave and shower later, Kogoro stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and headed back to his bedroom to get dressed. The moment he put his pants on, however, he heard the familiar Yoko Okino ringtone coming from his cell phone. He answered the call with a quick, "Hello?"

"Hello, Kogoro." Eri's voice filled his ear as he closed his eyes and grinned. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be. You still coming by?"

"I just got off the train; I'll be there in five minutes."

"Perfect timing." Kogoro stood up and looked out the window with a smile that betrayed the tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Eri."

"For what?"

"I gave you every reason in the world to give up on me, but you never did. Ten years of drinking and womanizing and..." Kogoro trailed off as he stared at his left ring finger and let out a deep sigh. "I don't deserve you."

"Okay," Eri cracked. "Who are you, and what have you done with Kogoro Mouri?" He chuckled at her joke and replied, "It's still me, but hopefully it's a _better_ me."

"I hope so, dear. Not just for your sake, but for ours." Kogoro nodded and asked, "How far away are you?"

"Right across the street." He peeked through the blinds and right there, clear as day, was Eri giving him a wave and a grin. Kogoro rolled his eyes and said, "Let me get my shirt on."

"I'll be right there." Eri hung up her phone as she walked across the street to the detective agency, and as she made her way up the stairs, she glanced to her right and noticed two cardboard boxes sitting next to the trash bins. She arched her eyebrow in curiosity and peeked inside one of them, and when its contents were revealed, she let out a small gasp. Bottles of liquor, some empty, some almost full, lay inside the box, one after the other. The second box revealed the same result as Eri shook her head in amazement.

_He's actually serious. I can't believe it._

A proud, relieved smile was on her face as she knocked on the door to the apartment, and she was greeted by the smiling faces of Ran and Conan when it was opened. "Mom! It's so good to see you," Ran exclaimed as she gave her a big hug.

"It's good to see you too," Eri replied as she returned the embrace. "Where's your father?"

"Right here." Kogoro stepped out of his bedroom and gave her a small wave as Ran broke the embrace, giving Eri the opportunity to approach her husband. They stared into each other's eyes for a good long while until Kogoro made the first move by placing his hands on Eri's shoulders. "You look great," he said with a smile.

"So do you. How long has it been since you've had a drink?"

"Almost two weeks," Kogoro replied. "I just...haven't had a taste for alcohol since the Maeda case wrapped up. The whole thing just made me sick, and when you factor in what happened to Rui..." He shook his head in sorrow and looked at Ran, saying, "I'm gonna do my damnedest to make sure that never happens to us. I know what I have to do, so let's do it."

"Sounds like a plan, dad. The next train to Narita leaves in a half hour."

* * *

11:02 AM

Japanese Red Cross Narita Hospital beckoned in the distance as the Mouris exited the train station. The sun was shining and the mid-spring air was the perfect temperature as Eri and Kogoro walked side by side while Ran held Conan's hand, acting as a unified front for the first time in years. Kogoro wore a nervous grin as he put his arm over Eri's shoulder, and it grew even more nervous when she glanced at him and asked, "And what do you think _you're_ doing?"

"Enjoying the weather with my family," Kogoro replied. "Is that wrong?"

"You know what? No. It really isn't." Eri crept in closer and wrapped her arm across his waist, placing her hand in his coat pocket. The nervousness in Kogoro's grin turned to relief and satisfaction as he glanced down at his wife and said, "You have no idea how much I missed this."

"That makes two of us." There was muted excitement in the pit of Ran's stomach as she watched her parents' gestures unfold, and a hopeful smile appeared on her face. Conan glanced up at her and asked, "Do you think they're gonna get back together, Ran-neechan?"

"This is the closest I've seen them in a long, long time, Conan-kun. I mean, we helped dad clear out his liquor cabinet last night, so it's fair to assume he's serious about getting better. I'd like to think that they will, but only time will tell."

"We've got some more things we need to do before that can happen, Ran," Eri said as she turned to face her. "We made an appointment with a marriage counselor for next Wednesday, and your father agreed to take an anger management course."

Kogoro nodded and said, "If we can pull this off, maybe...just maybe..." He looked into Eri's eyes as he spoke, and she returned his hopeful gaze with one of her own as the group entered the hospital. The Sunrise Room was two floors up, and as they headed to the elevators, they noticed a familiar trio approaching them from the opposite direction. It didn't take long to realize that it was Satoshi, Emi and Rui, and once they recognized each other, the Ishidas broke into huge smiles as Rui bolted towards Eri and Kogoro. They knelt down to intercept her hug as she wrapped her arms as far as she could around them, and behind her, Satoshi and Emi watched with pride and relief. "Hi, Mouri-sama! Hi, Conan-kun! Who are your friends?"

Kogoro motioned to his right and replied, "This is my wife, Eri, and right behind me is my daughter, Ran. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you look exactly like her! Go say hi!" Rui did just that as the pair stood up and locked eyes with the Ishidas, knowing full well why they were here. Concern filled Eri's voice as she asked, "How is she doing?"

"Better than we could've hoped for," Satoshi answered. "Rui came home with us on Wednesday, and the first thing she did when we got home was run through the house and celebrate." Kogoro smiled in approval as Emi added, "Of course, we had to calm her down so the stitches didn't come loose, but other than that, she adjusted beautifully."

"I take it the stitches are from the tube in her side?" Kogoro asked.

"Unfortunately," Emi sighed. "We came in today for a quick check-up and to make sure the stitches are holding. They are, and Rui is as healthy as can be."

"That's good to know," Eri said. "And it's good to know that you two will be able to give her the life she deserves."

"Absolutely." Satoshi stepped forward and declared, "As far as we're concerned, Rui is our daughter. I know that sounds like a cruel thing to say, considering we have Kaori, but...we just can't consider her our daughter anymore after what she did."

"Can't say I blame you," Kogoro replied with a frown.

"I honestly don't know what the hell we did to turn her into someone so cold and heartless," Emi added. "It still doesn't make sense to me."

"I think it was Hiro," Eri said. "He brought out the worst in her, and she brought out the worst in him. You can't blame yourselves; _she_ was the one who chose to do what she did. You two are some of the kindest people I've ever met, and you deserve Rui as much as she deserves you."

"Thank you, Kisaki-sama," Satoshi replied. "We're just relieved that it's finally over. Besides, checking in with a parole officer every week is a small price to pay for looking after her." Before anyone could respond, Rui returned to Satoshi's side and opened her arms for a hug, which he returned in kind while making sure he avoided her wound. A huge smile was on her face and her eyes radiated warmth as she declared, "I love you, grandpa."

"I love you too, Rui," Satoshi replied with a warm smile. Emi squeezed her way in and gave her a hug of her own, with Rui saying, "I didn't forget about you, grandma. I love you too."

"And I love you, dear. Always." The joy on their faces and the light in their eyes was impossible to ignore, and it wasn't long before Kogoro and Eri were taken by surprise due to an incoming hug from both Ran and Conan. A surprised gasp escaped the pair before they quickly returned the embrace, hugging their daughter as tight as they could. They also made Conan feel welcome, with Eri giving him a big hug of his own. When it was Kogoro's turn to hug the boy, he acted reluctant at first, hemming and hawing and hesitating. Unimpressed with his stunt, Conan crossed his arms and glared at him alongside Eri and Ran, and the collective stare caused Kogoro to blanch and exclaim, "Come on! I was only kidding! Get in here, kid!"

"Thanks, uncle!" As soon as Kogoro knelt down, Conan ran into his arms with such force that he knocked Mouri onto his back, resulting in a chorus of good-natured laughter from the spectators. As Kogoro rolled his eyes in irritation and returned the boy's overenthusiastic gesture, Conan flashed a devious grin and chuckled softly to himself. Eri and Satoshi helped Kogoro to his feet, and he asked, "I hate to cut this short, but you wouldn't happen to know where the Sunrise Room is, would you?"

"Take the next set of elevators two floors up," Satoshi said as he pointed down the hall. "You'll see the room right when you get off; you can't miss it."

"Thank you, Ishida-san. It was great seeing you again," Eri said as she shook his hand. "I know Rui's in safe hands."

"As safe as possible," Emi replied. "Again, thank you all for what you did." Kogoro and Eri smiled and nodded as the Ishidas took Rui by the hand and headed for the hospital entrance. The Mouris stood and watched with relief as the smiling little girl talked with both of her grandparents, the three of them laughing all the while as they exited the hospital and headed for the train station. After a few seconds of silence, Eri tapped Kogoro on the shoulder and asked, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Then let's go." They followed Satoshi's instructions and took the next set of elevators to the third floor, and when they stepped off, the Sunrise Room was to their left and the doors were wide open. Kogoro glanced at his watch and saw he still had 15 minutes before the meeting started, and he used the time to hold a quick conversation with his family. "Before I go, I just wanna say thank you...to all of you. You were there for me at my lowest, my most immature, and my absolute worst. I can't tell you how sorry I am for all the shit I put you through these last ten years. Ran, you are my rock. You keep me grounded and you're always there for me. Conan, you're a handful, but if I'm being perfectly honest, you keep things interesting and keep me alert, and I'd be remiss if I didn't thank you for that. And Eri..." He grabbed her hands and moved in close, staring into her eyes with a hopeful gaze. "Thank you for...for not giving up on me. I gave you every possible reason to, but you never did. I gave you every opportunity to throw me out in the alley with the dogs and never speak to me again, but...here we are." Eri's eyes widened in recognition at his statement, and tears welled as Kogoro continued to pour his heart out.

"The Maedas...were a reflection of what we could have become if we let our anger control us. I don't want that. And I know you don't, either. When I walk into that room, that's gonna be step one in rebuilding our family. We've got a long way to go, but I know we can get there. I'm ready. I'm finally ready."

Eri smiled through her tears and reached into her coat pocket, pulling out her copy of the photo Kogoro kept in his desk. "So you don't forget what you're fighting for," she said as she handed it to him.

"I could _never_ forget." He placed the photo in his coat pocket and initiated a group hug, letting out a relieved, content sigh as his family collectively embraced each other. When the embrace broke, Ran gave him a thumbs-up and said, "You've got this, dad."

"Good luck, uncle!"

"And if you try to escape, we'll be right here waiting for you," Eri said with a grin.

"Thanks for the warning." Kogoro grinned back and headed into the Sunrise Room, taking a seat in the circle of chairs between a man in a Ryusuke Higo jersey and a girl in a Yoko Okino T-shirt. After he got a look at their attire, Kogoro couldn't help but laugh to himself as he heard the doors close and the meeting got underway. A man in his early forties pulled the empty chairs out of the circle and sat down at the head, saying, "All right! Welcome to this meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous! Before we start, we have a new member joining us today, and he's sitting right over there." He pointed to Kogoro and said, "This is your first step in conquering your addiction, and we're all proud of you for recognizing that." The group applauded as Kogoro glanced down at the floor. "But in order to conquer your addiction, you need to _admit_ that you have an addiction. The floor is yours, sir."

Kogoro could feel the eyes of everyone in the room upon him as he rose from his seat and cleared his throat. There would be no turning back once he admitted his fault. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat for a brief moment. A small cough and a sip of coffee later, he was once again ready to take that first step forward. Ready to regain what he had lost. He glanced down at the photo and smiled before turning his attention back to the group.

"My name is Kogoro Mouri...and I'm an alcoholic."

-END-

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**Detective Conan and its characters belong to Gosho Aoyama.**


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